Feathers and Leaves
by Insomnium
Summary: Exiled from her own village, a young kunoichi is brought up in Konoha, completely unaware that being part of Naruto's generation will incite mayhem and lead to all sorts of adventures that she never bargained for. Action/Adventure/Romance
1. Prices of Training

**Greetings oh wonderful people (if anybody) who have decided to read my story! Just so all are aware, this is my first fanfic and I'm not really sure how these things work yet... I apologize for how bad it is in advance. Depending on what people think I may or may not continue it, so have fun praising/trashing it. I look forward to some honest (if brutal) reviews. And don't worry, most of the chapters won't be as terribly boring as this one. Enjoy!**

**Addendum: Wow, I started this story like**_**three years ago**_**. That's kind of a long time. Well, if you're just getting started, WELCOME! I feel like this story might last a long time, so I hope you have a blast on the ride to the end.**

* * *

"Konoha?"

Okure peered at me gravely over the firelight, shadows flickering elusively over his face. He would never be straightforward, that guy. Something I would always resent about him as the clan leader. I sighed, waiting for him to respond. Sometimes he did take a while to remember people were talking to him. The other chuunins and jounins sitting in the stadium acted patient, but I could feel tension in the entire place. Silence… "Yes."

"Why Konoha?" I asked. I'd guessed why, but I needed to make sure my instincts were correct.

More silence. I could wait all night if it meant an explanation. Some of the other ninjas I couldn't speak for. "Nyuushin Niwaka. Do you remember why your parents left our clan?" What a stupid question. Of course I remembered. But then again, I'd only heard from Okure after Mother and Father had already gone. I didn't necessarily know that he'd been telling the truth. You never could tell. I nodded nonetheless. "Heisei and Ketsui wanted you to be a skilled ninja like they were." Before the accident. "And one of the requests we specifically received from them was for you to train in Konoha." Of course, it was _such_ a special village. Konoha and its little flimsy leaves. "The Third Hokage has promised to accept you as one of his own genins."

Something snapped in my mind, and my eyes narrowed suspiciously. "One of his own. And when you say that, you mean that you're throwing me out of the clan." I suddenly felt very aware of my forehead protector, securely tied to the side of my hip. I'd had it since I was five. I really wasn't ready to give it up. In fact, I never wanted to give it up. "That is what you mean, correct?" They were no longer my family, so why be courteous?

"Niwaka-chan," someone said from the upper levels. Glancing up, I recognized a man, somewhere in his mid-twenties, bright red hair waving around his ears. Gaman. "We're not throwing you out. Far from it. You know how little education you'll be able to get here." He had me there. The Nyuushin Clan was solitary, settled several kilometers away from the Hidden Star Village, though we rarely made contact with them. "You've learned nearly all the techniques the clan has to offer."

"I could wander around some," I protested, instinctively brushing my fingers against my forehead protector. "Become a travelling shinobi—"

"Travelling shinobi have no respect for their comrades!" Okure said angrily. I drew back, surprised. "You will not wander. It's the best thing for you to live in a village atmosphere with other genins. You can't continue as the only genin in our clan forever. Where will you learn teamwork? Or new jutsu? This is what your parents would have wanted."

"My parents can go to hell!" I shouted, feeling tears prick my eyes. "My parents were never here when I needed them. This village is all I have. I would rather be a mediocre ninja than an exile."

Okure lowered his lined face. "I'm sorry you feel that way. But…" A hand clenched at my heart. "We've already agreed on a deal with the Third. The Nyuushin Clan cannot go back on its word. Out honor is at stake if you refuse, Niwaka-san."

I bit my lip. I could sense the other ninjas' eyes on me, waiting for my decision. All this for being the daughter of two of the most important ninjas in our clan. I suppose their word was law, just short of Okure. Despite my fury at his jurisdiction, I wasn't selfish. The clan comes first, that was what Gaman had always told me. I had never imagined causing such an upset. But it was clear what a real Nyuushin would do in this situation.

"I'll go," I growled, hiding my discomfort. "But don't expect me to fight for this village again. You say I'm a Konoha ninja now, so I am."

I could see Gaman place his head in his hands, and the other jounins shift in awkward silence. Okure thought for what seemed like an eternity, but finally, eyes on the fire burning bright before his seat, he said, "Very well. Tomorrow morning you leave."

* * *

Red eyes. That's what I hate most about mirrors. The first thing I ever see is that shock of crimson on either side of my face. Some people mistake me for possessing the legendary Sharingan on first sight, but the Nyuushin don't have bloodline limits passed through the eyes. Supposedly there is a trait in our history that crossed with the Uchihas' but no kind of power was retained, only the color.

I stared at myself, distrusting my courage. The girl in the mirror looked cool and confident, black-violet hair pulled away from her face in a plain braid, and mouth set stubbornly. To tell the truth, I'm not as brave as I make myself out to be. I feel comfortable arguing with Okure and Gaman only because they've known me from the moment I was born. I try to avoid the other clan members as often as possible for fear that I'll be unable to come up with a coherent response.

I felt a presence behind me and turned away from the mirror slowly. Gaman closed his eyes, face passive. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," I muttered. I slid a pack onto my shoulders and made sure I had a sufficient amount of supplies in the pocket-bag next to my protector. Six kunais. Fourteen shurikens.

Three explosive tags. And 2 smoke bombs. "Shall we?" I asked, gesturing Gaman toward the door.

Several villagers watched from their windows when Gaman and I crossed the entrance threshold. It occurred to me I was leaving behind nearly fourteen years of childhood memories and loyalty. A trace of guilt crossed my mind remembering the things I'd said the night before, but I brushed it off, refusing to think about it anymore. If Konoha was where they wanted me, I would go there and accept it.

"Niwaka-chan," Gaman said in a sing-song way. "You've never been good at spiting people, and you know it." I ignored him, clenching my pack. _How did such an annoying guy become a jounin?_"Niwaka-chan, don't be like that." He appeared in front of me, grinning and I cursed myself for not paying more attention. "I know this isn't what you want, but it was your choice."

"Choice!" I snapped, stopping in my tracks. "More like an ultimatum! My happiness or the village's honor. I can't win either way. If I leave, then I give up my home. If I compromise the Nyuushin Clan's status, then I'm forever blamed. What choice did I have?"

Gaman laughed quietly. "You do have a point."

I frowned. "Of course I do, you fool."

"Whoa, easy, easy," he answered. No sooner had I taken another step that I felt a kunai pressed to my throat. "Let's not be forgetting who's the jounin here. The kunai slid away and I sighed.

"You're a terrible person," I muttered.

"Yeah, I am. Now first one out of the Bear Country has to treat the other to lunch." He leapt into the trees and away in an instant. I smiled and jumped after him. Whatever time I had left as a Nyuushin, I planned to savor it.

It took us nearly three days to reach the Country of Fire, and another few hours to the outskirts of Konoha. Despite everything, I couldn't deny that this country was beautiful. We'd arrived just as soon as the sun began to set. Golden streaks crawled along the horizon melting into blue and red. It was almost as if someone were painting a scene across the sky. The Country of Bears had never had a sunset this gorgeous. I was so enraptured that I didn't notice we'd passed the gates into Konoha. Until I bumped into something hard.

Looking up, I glimpsed a face, half covered by rough-looking black hair and wearing an honestly surprised expression. "Hello there," the man said easily sliding into a smile. "I suppose you're new here?"

I blushed furiously, tripping over my tongue thinking of a response, until Gaman came to my rescue. "Izumo, don't scare her."

"Gaman-sama?" the man asked incredulously. "I haven't seen you in years."

"Me either." Another man stepped up next to Izumo. This one gave me the impression that he had a large, hairy spider perched atop his head, but I also noticed the white cloth stretched over his nose.

"Kotetsu too!" Gaman said with a smile. "I should've guessed you two would still be hanging around each other."

"Habit," they said at the same time and glanced at each other, one eyebrow raised each.

"Anyway," Izumo said, slipping into a business type tone. "Who's your friend?" He and Kotetsu seemed to be analyzing me. I tried to back away behind Gaman, but he just pushed me forward.

"Now's not the time to be shy, Niwaka-chan." He grinned widely down on me, giving a thumbs up. "These guys aren't going to eat you."

"Yeah, right," I said inaudibly.

"Niwaka-san?"Kotetsu said thoughtfully. "Interesting name. You have that kind of air about you though." I blushed even harder. Stupid strangers. I wouldn't be able to talk for at least ten minutes now. Or so I thought.

"Well, Niwaka-chan," Gaman said. "This is where I leave you."

"What?" I cried, forgetting the other two ninjas momentarily. I would have to meet the Hokage alone? I would have to navigate the town without a guide? "Right at the gate?" I jabbed a finger at Gaman's chest. "What kind of clansman are you? Abandoning me in some random village."

"Sorry!" he insisted, smile shaking in its place. "The mission only entails me taking you to the gates. I swear, Izumo and Kotetsu can show you around and introduce you to the Hokage." He scratched the back of his head, and I turned around with a 'hmph', hair swinging around my shoulders.

"Fine," I told him. "But when I see you again, I am going to beat you senseless, you hear? Even if you are a lousy jounin."

"It's a promise," Gaman said, clasping my shoulder. He let go and with a salute melted back into the trees. The sun was gone now and lamps burned down the length of Konoha's streets. For a moment, I felt the imminent isolation take hold, but I forced it back. Before I could settle, I remembered the two ninjas, obviously waiting for me to say something. Slowly pivoting back around, I kept my eyes glued to the ground. I peered up at them shyly from underneath my lashes. They looked utterly perplexed.

"I told you her name fits, Izumo," Kotetsu said behind a hand.

"Shut up," Izumo said, nudging his friend. "This is the one that the Hokage asked us to look out for, remember? From the Nyuushin Clan? That's why Gaman-sama was escorting her."

"Right, Nyuushin Niwaka." They nodded to each other (everything they did seemed to be in sync) and looked to me with friendly faces.

"Shall we?" Izumo asked politely. I bobbed my head just enough for confirmation and continued my extensive study of the gravel and dirt on the road. "Very well." Izumo's cheer was almost infectious, but only almost. "Just follow us, Niwaka-san."

Konoha turned out to be a big village, much bigger than my own. But it was to be expected, since this was one of the five leading villages on the continent. Izumo and Kotetsu weaved through a couple streets before stopping. "That's where the Hokage lives," Kotetsu told me pointing to a large white and red building adorned with the symbol for fire. It's only another block away, but you must be hungry now. I'll bet Gaman-sama doesn't feed you enough. He's so stingy."

"And we're passing the ramen shop right now," Izumo observed. "We'll treat you."

"No!" I said, quietly, but still louder than I had intended. "I have enough money for—"

"But we would be bad hosts," Kotetsu said with a smile. "Besides, you shouldn't meet the Hokage for the first time without eating first. He can be pretty imposing."

"I guess just once," I said grudgingly. I hated owing people anything. I always insisted on doing things myself. I often had trouble repaying debts especially monetary ones. Out clan is not the richest around.

Ichiraku Ramen was just down the street. It looked like a pleasant place, refreshingly open with a small bar-like setting. Only two people were there when we entered: a chuunin or jounin probably around Gaman's age and a blonde boy with a shockingly orange jacket. I smiled, seeing the way the kid was shoveling down his ramen. The ninja beside him seemed amused as well. So Konoha was a party town.

"Welcome!" said a kindly middle-aged man. "What can I get you?"

"What would you like, Niwaka-san?" Izumo asked.

The three of them were looking at me expectantly and it was the most unsettling feeling in the world. "I-I'll have whatever that kid's having," I said, flicking my eyes to the blonde boy. "Since he seems to be enjoying it so much," I finished softly.

"Ayame!" the man called behind him. "One order of pork ramen!"

"Hai!" I heard a woman shout from the back.

"Do you make all your decisions that way?" Kotetsu asked. _Hey, don't talk to me about decisions._

"No," I answered hiding behind my bangs. "I thought it looked good."

I was handed the bowl a few minutes later, and I broke my chopsticks apart finally realizing just how hungry I really was. I was about to dig in, when someone sat heavily in the seat on my other side. "Pork ramen?" I recognized the blonde boy and blinked at his impossibly wide grin. "Good choice, nee-san. What's your name?"

I hesitated. What an energetic kid... "Nyuushin Niwaka." I began eating my ramen, which, I might add, was delicious.

"Greetings, Niwaka-san! I'm Uzumaki Naruto." He gestured at himself with pride. I glimpsed the forehead protector nearly hidden under a bush of hair. So he was a Konoha genin? We were comrades then, or would be soon. "Hey, nee-san, I've never seen you before. Where are you from?"

Kotetsu and Izumo seemed slightly aggravated, but waited patiently for me to finish talking. "I'm from the Bear Country," I said at length, giving him a very timid smile. "I've just been sent to Konoha for training."

"Oh so you're a ninja?" he asked still with that enormous grin. "Maybe we'll be on the same team!"

"Maybe," I said. I liked this kid. He was making this village seem less and less hostile. "Well, Naruto-kun, I have to see Hokage-sama before it gets too late. I'll see you later, right?" I thanked the old man, and followed Kotetsu and Izumo out of Ichiraku.

"Of course!" he said happily, waving. "See you later, Niwaka-san!"

"Konoha welcomes you, Niwaka," the Hokage said. Kotetsu had been right. The old man was pretty imposing. The way he wore his robe and hat, and the way his eyes pierced through whatever he looked at showed that he was no one to be trifled with. Anyone who looked carefully could see how many things he'd witnessed and done. "As is customary, we will give you a place to live, and take part in all the missions given to you. Understood?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"In addition, you must receive a Konoha village forehead protector to show your alignment with the Country of Fire." He opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a protector similar to mine, but with the Konoha leaf instead of the Nyuushin feather. I stepped forward, feeling a weight on my chest, and took it with numb hands. "Izumo and Kotetsu will show you to your house. You'll be called to the Ninja Academy tomorrow morning to receive your assigned genin team." I bowed and made to leave the room. "Niwaka." I turned around again, standing up straight. "Konoha is lucky to have you. Don't hate your parents for anything they've done. It was all done for the best." _What do you know, Hokage?_ I thought bitterly as I left the room shadowed by the two ninjas.

Only a few streets away, Kotetsu and Izumo showed me a small, quaint cottage and gave me a key. They said a few quick goodbyes before excusing themselves for the beginning of their shifts on guard duty. I was half sad, half relieved. I wasn't sure whether I wanted company or to be alone. After unpacking my few belongings and setting them out, I collapsed into the small twin bed by a window. Sleep came easily enough, but when it did, I still had a sense of emptiness eating at me.

* * *

Dawn hit me straight in the eyes what seemed like seconds after I'd closed my eyes. I tried to shut it out, but unfortunately I was one of those people who could never go back to sleep once they'd woken up. I threw on a black dress covered in zippers and pockets and a deep purple jacket before daring to step outside. Konoha was bustling at the moment. Shops were in business, customers haggling and dealing. A few passing ninja stopped to inspect me, assumingly noticing my chakra, which was slightly unique from theirs. But they went on after seeing that I wasn't a danger.

I hadn't donned my new forehead protector yet, preferring to keep my old one until I absolutely had to remove it. After some adventurous exploration, or as a normal person would say, 'getting lost', I finally found the red-roofed ninja academy where I saw a cloud of other kids milling around. I stuck to the shadows, not knowing what to say or do if one of them approached me. Although I tried to observe all of the genins in the yard, it would seem that I missed one. A few meters away from me a girl was standing against the wall of the academy. She seemed to be even shyer than I was, not even looking around at all. Whenever she accidentally caught someone's eye, she jerked her head down again, cheeks turning pink. The girl wore her hair short, though two midnight-blue locks framed her face. What was really fascinating were her pale eyes, both having a slightly violet coloring around the edges and no pupils.

I almost felt bad for her. She looked like the type who couldn't carry a conversation whether she knew the person or not. Fortunately for me, those kinds of people were the only ones who I could talk to easily. I closed the distance between us and tapped the girl's shoulder. She jumped and nearly tripped over her own feet. "I'm sorry," I said sincerely, helping her up. "I didn't mean it, I swear."

"I-It's fine," she stuttered. Her voice was the meekest I'd ever heard in my life.

"I'm new in this village," I explained. "I don't really know anyone."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she said, bowing. "My name is Hyuuga Hinata."

"Nyuushin Niwaka." She smiled brightly. "So everyone's getting their new teams today, huh?"

"Yes. I'm a bit nervous, actually," she said with a furtive glance over at that the crowd of genins. A familiar sock of blonde hair caught my eye, and I looked from Hinata to Naruto, hiding a tiny smirk with my hand. To be honest, I thought that it was adorable.

"Well, I hope you get a good team." I paused. "Naruto seems like a nice guy," I said tentatively, watching Hinata's expression. As I expected, her face turned a vibrant shade of pink.

"H-he is," she said, making sure to avoid looking at both me and him.

"You should get him on your team. I'm sure you'd be a great combo." She was utterly speechless, as if I'd given her the highest praise in the world. All at once all the genins began to flood into the building, leaving me and Hinata standing at eh entrance. "I guess this is it," I remarked.

"Y-yeah," she said. I gave her a reassuring look, and we walked in together, awaiting our new, official genin teams.

* * *

**So ends the first chapter! Huzzah! I hope it wasn't**_**too**_**sickening. Ummm... Other things... You probably recognize Izumo and Kotetsu, the dynamic duo of awesome ninjas. We've met Naruto and Hinata so far, two of my favorite characters personally. I'm actually on "vacation" right now with my cousin in Maryland, but she's at school and her parents are being all boring (with talk of electric bills, credit cards, and shopping), so I'll be working hard to get chapter two. Peace out, homeslices!**

**Oh P.S. about Niwaka's name. The reason Izumo and Kotetsu act that way is because niwaka means 'unexpected'.**


	2. The Ninjas of Konoha

**Wow. Still no one has begun reading this fic... That's depressing... But I didn't label it for anyone, which is probably why. As of now, it's going to be named as a Shikamaru and Hinata fanfic just because they're two of the important characters so far. This is subject to change though. I apologize for tricking people. Anyway, chapter two begins!**

**Addendum: Actually**_**many**_**people have started this fic and after three years, it's gained a pretty good following. And I change the characters every chapter or so, depending on who's most important in the most recent chapter.**

* * *

"Seventh group." The informational meeting was being held by the same ninja I'd seen at Ichiraku Ramen last night, the one with the long scar on his face. "Uzumaki Naruto." I shot a glance at Hinata whose hands were clenched tightly. "Haruno Sakura." A girl with long pink hair sighed, hanging her head. She seemed disdainful. I crossed my fingers for the last name, hoping shy little Hinata could be with Naruto. "Uchiha Sasuke." I stared pityingly at Hinata as her face fell, and examined the Uchiha. His hair was black and flipped interestingly at the nape of his neck. His eyes were like onyx, or rather dark holes. Just looking at them sent a shiver down my back. I wouldn't want to be with such a cold looking person, but the Sakura girl looked excessively more cheerful now that he was in her group.

"Eighth group. Hyuuga Hinata." I watched the teacher intently. _Please put someone good in her group._I felt a strange kind of connection with this girl. She was shy like me, but I could tell there was more to her than anyone would expect. "Inuzuka Kiba." A brunette boy with a red tattoo on each cheek grinned. I noticed a puppy on his shoulder and immediately felt better for Hinata. He seemed decent at least. "Aburame Shino." This one was too serious, I think. His coat hid most of his face and his eyes were covered by dark glasses. I couldn't see his mouth, but I knew he wasn't smiling. _Well, Hinata, good luck._

I waited for my name to be called as another group was formed. I leaned my head on my hand. So these were all new genins? It would be nice going back to the basics though. And it would be an opportunity to start over as a ninja with a team instead of being alone. "Tenth group." I half listened as the teacher called the names. "Nara Shikamaru... Akimichi Chouji... and Nyuushin Niwaka." Doomed to act as the 'new kid'. Everyone's glance turned toward me and I shrunk down as small as I could be, trying to ignore them. I didn't want to know what my new teammates had concluded about me.

I didn't pay attention to the rest; I was too busy preparing myself for the encounters, although I registered an argument between the sensei and one of the students. "You're going to meet your jounin teachers in the afternoon," the teacher said. "Meeting adjourned!" I ran out faster than any of the other genins, eager to avoid a scene. Seems I wasn't able to escape everyone though because almost as soon as I'd gotten away, I saw a shadow fall over me. Two shadows.

"Niwaka-san!" Naruto shouted appearing right in front of me. _I should have known_, I thought with an inward smile. "Did you see that? I'm paired with Sakura-chan, but I have to deal with that no-good Sasuke!" I giggled slightly as the other shadow showed his identity. The puppy tugged on the hem of my skirt playfully, and I reached down to let him sniff my hand as his owner stepped forward.

"Well, Akamaru likes you, so you can't be too bad," Kiba said jamming his hands in his pockets. Akamaru, as Kiba had called him, yelped and wagged his tail, sniffing around one of my pockets.

I normally used it to hold birdseed, dog treats, and other kinds of animal food. The Nyuushins liked to have a lot of animals around, so I was prepared for most creatures. I pulled out a dog biscuit and laughed as Akamaru licked it off of my hand.

"So you do know how to laugh," Naruto said, rubbing his chin, eyes squinted.

"Of course, silly Naruto-kun," I told him. My shyness was beginning to subside, to my relief.

"Anyway," Naruto said, a fiendish look in his eyes. "I have to go find Sakura-chan. We should eat lunch together since we're in the same group!" He galloped away and I shook my head with a wry smile. What a kid.

"Niwaka-san," Kiba said picking up his dog with care. "What kind of pills are those?" He pointed to my pocket.

"Oh, these?" I brought out a few of the treats. "They're not pills, just normal food."

Kiba took one of the treats and sniffed it, as if this was a test. "It's mostly pork and beef with some chicken and a hint of fish... And pepper?"

"Hai," I said, shrinking back again. Kiba was impressive for a new genin. I could tell he and Akamaru must have some tricks up their sleeves. Theoretically speaking, of course. "I've brought quite a few bags from home," I offered quietly. "If Akamaru would like some..."

Kiba grinned nearly as widely as Naruto. Did everyone in Konoha smile this big? "If it's not too much trouble then he'd love some." Akamaru barked in agreement and Kiba rested the dog on top of his hooded head. "Well, Niwaka-san, Akamaru and I have to go meet our team."

He began to walk away but I called after him, "Kiba-kun!" He turned his head. "Take care of Hinata-chan!"

He gave me a thumbs up and disappeared around the corner. Hinata was in good hands. I went back to the academy to ask where my team was meeting. The teacher, who I learned was named Iruka, told me team ten would be under the trees by the river bridge. I thanked him and set out. Only one problem: I had no idea where that was. After running around the river aimlessly for nearly twenty minutes, I finally glimpsed the bridge and ran to the bench under the canopy of leaves, relieved that I wasn't late. In fact, no one was there except me. I flopped down on the bench.

I checked my watch and comparing the time to when I was supposed to be there, I realized I was actually over forty minutes early. I spent some time watching the ducks on the river, taking out some breadcrumbs from my all-purpose pocket and throwing them on the water. Seconds crawled by, and I pulled the Konoha forehead protector from another pocket watching the sunlight glance off the metal leaf symbol. Today was the day.

I heard footsteps and a thump and I quickly turned around, accidentally cracking my neck loudly. A boy was lying on the grass just a few meters away from the shade, hands behind his head, staring straight up at the sky. I studied his lazy eyes and carelessly tied back hair spiking out in the back.

"Are you just going to sit there and stare?" the boy muttered, leaning his head forward. I was wrong. His eyes weren't lazy at all; they were clever looking. I didn't answer, a little perturbed by how direct he was. "I guess so." He laid his head back again.

So now this kid thought I was some gaping moron? No way. I got up from the bench and tossed the rest of my crumbs into the river before kneeling down on the ground a safe distance away from the boy. Rolling over, I mimicked him. He must have been watching the clouds. It actually was a perfect day for that very activity. The sun was shifting behind the forest the opposite of the way I was facing. Light still illuminated the many white wisps that were floating against the blue. "Beautiful," I breathed.

"You act as if you've never seen the sky before," the boy said.

"Not like this. We've been having droughts so often that if you see even one cloud, you're pretty lucky."

"How troublesome," he sighed, and turned his head over to face me. "Niwaka, right?"

"Word gets around fast here, doesn't it?" I inquired facing him as well. "Who might you be?"

"Nara Shikamaru."

"I had a feeling you were on my team," I said. "Where's Akimichi Chouji?"

"Probably stopping to eat somewhere," Shikamaru answered in a bored tone. "He'll be late if he doesn't show up soon." We waited in silence until I heard footfalls, these heavy. Shikamaru and I both craned our necks in time to see a chubby boy around our age sit himself upon the grass. "You made it, Chouji," Shikamaru said, lying back down.

Chouji muttered something and reached behind him pulling a large bag of chips out of nowhere. He popped it open and began crunching loudly. The three of us waited in awkward silence, every so often shooting conspicuous glances at each other.

"Hey." We all turned around at once to see the jounin crouched on the bench. He was pretty tall, tan and stout with a black hair and beard. I raised a disapproving eyebrow at the cigarette poking out of his mouth. "Team ten, if I'm not mistaken."

"It's about time," Shikamaru muttered under his breath, sitting up.

"It's not like he's late," I said reproachfully. Shikamaru just gave me a look that clearly said, 'I can already tell you're annoying' and leaned on his hands.

"Now before we start," the jounin said cheerily. "We're having introductions. It's standard for when teams first meet each other to answer the questions." The three of us groaned. "Relax, it won't kill you. So I'm going to copy off of a friend of mine and use his methods. Name, things you like, things you hate, hobbies, and dreams. You—" He pointed at Chouji. "—go first."

Chouji squinted in concentration, crumpling the chip bag into a ball. "Akimichi Chouji. I like food, and I hate it when someone else gets my last bite of anything." He glared at nothing in particular. "My hobby is critiquing different restaurants, and my dream is to show everyone that I can become a good ninja even if I'm not skinny."

"Very good. How about you, lazy boy?"

Shikamaru let out a long sigh and said, "I'm Nara Shikamaru. I like quiet and I hate noise. My hobby is cloud watching, and my dream is to get through ninja training so I can finally rest a bit." I looked at him with a shake of my head. If he hated activity so much then why was he a ninja in the first place?

"And you?" The jounin's friendly gaze was fixed on me. I coughed and my face turned red before I composed myself. "Nyuushin Niwaka," I said slowly. "I like the sky and stories. I hate..." I searched my memory. There weren't many things I hated. "... snakes. My hobbies are drawing and writing, and I don't really have any dreams." Maybe they were a little bit confused. Shikamaru and Chouji were giving me the weirdest expressions and the jounin's face was blank.

"Very good," he said. "You don't need to know much about me, but my name is Asuma. Does anyone have any questions?" I raised my hand all the blood rushing to my cheeks. "Yes, Niwaka?"

"Asuma-sensei, isn't there some sort of, well, test at the beginning of training?"

He looked taken aback but sat up again, pensive. "That's right. You've been a genin for quite some time, haven't you Niwaka?" I looked away with a surge of discomfort as Shikamaru and Chouji studied me closely. "And yes, I was just getting to that. Some of the other jounins have some silly challenge with stealing bells, but I don't think that's the proper test in most cases. Yours is going to be a bit different. We'll meet here tomorrow at six o'clock sharp." With that, Asuma vanished, leaving my teammates and me alone.

"Niwaka-san," Chouji said. "You were already a shinobi?"

I mumbled a confirmation, and rested my head on a tree root.

"So you've already gone on lots of missions?" Chouji continued.

"A few," I said evasively.

"Where exactly are you from?" Shikamaru asked bluntly. "I've never seen a forehead protector like that one before."

"Umougakure," I replied, "the feathered village. It's only made up of my clan, so we don't have anything like your Hokage or the Kazekage. Only our clan leader."

"What are your techniques?"

"Is this an interrogation?" I asked lightly.

Shikamaru blinked. "I'm only curious. Don't get so defensive, Niwaka." Chouji nodded with crossed arms. "Why is an Umou ninja in Konoha anyway? Shouldn't you be learning from a jounin from your own village?"

"It was my parents' decision," I said. "They wanted me to become a jounin and eventually join the ANBU like they did." I grimaced. "There aren't any other genins in Umougakure, and therefore I have no team which prevents me from entering the Chuunin exam."

"Then your parents should have come too," Shikamaru stated. "Leaving you alone in Konoha isn't very good caretaking."

"They're dead," I said flatly. "And we Nyuushin respect death wishes." I rose with a small smile at Chouji and Shikamaru. "I should be going now. There's someone I need to find." Without waiting for an answer I leapt onto the nearest roof, deciding to take the fastest route instead of walking down the crowded streets. Passing each street, I searched the ground. I couldn't say why I suddenly wanted to find Hinata. It was strange for me to feel connections, let alone with people near my age. Hinata was someone I definitely saw something in. She could be a great shinobi if she only had more confidence. Maybe it was her supposed crush on Naruto that caught my attention. After all, I was kind of a romantic.

As if on cue, I spotted that very boy sitting on the next roof along with the pink haired Sakura and the serious Sasuke. "Oi Naruto!" I yelled as I landed on the railing and stepped down.

His face broke out in a grin. "Niwaka-chan! What are you doing here?"

"Passing by," I replied. "Are you waiting for your jounin?"

"He just left," Naruto said with a slight frown. "He's a bit creepy and he doesn't like us very much..." I grinned, but saw the Sakura girl eyeing me over Naruto's blonde hair. Sasuke graced me with a glance then flicked his eyes forward again, leaning his chin on his hands. He didn't move again, but I saw Sakura's face turned toward the Uchiha with something like admiration. So it was one of those tangled crush webs, was it?

"Anyway, Naruto, I was wondering if you've seen Hinata-chan?" He looked completely oblivious.

"Who?"

I sighed. "Never mind. I'll see you later."

* * *

The sun was just barely rising over the mountains as I waited by the bench the next morning. I hadn't been able to find Hinata, but I let it go for the time being, trying to prepare for this ominous test. Shikamaru and Chouji showed up at the same time, both yawning with wide mouths and rubbing tired eyes.

At exactly six, a figure began to approach us through the morning fog and it wasn't long until we recognized him as Asuma. "Yo!" His grin sickened me this early in the morning. If I'd been a little sleepier I might have actually tried to whack him. "Are you ready for the test?"

"Get on with it," Shikamaru groaned with lowered eyelids. He looked as if he would collapse any second.

"As you wish. Your challenge is—" Asuma hopped from his spot on the grass to the foot of the bridge leading across the river. "—to cross the bridge." I could've sworn all three of our mouths were hanging open. He chuckled at our faces. "Let me explain. This is a test of speed. I guard over this river, and the first two people to make it to the other side pass. The third, however..." His eyes narrowed. "... fails."

_Interesting. He's pitting us against each other._I saw Shikamaru, brows creased and obviously thinking hard. _But I wonder…_Asuma looked completely grave and sincere, but there was something almost sneaky in his face. _Could he be trying to trick us?_

"We'll start when I say 'go'," he announced. "One." His hand lifted. "Two." _There must be some kind of catch…_"Three." I saw Chouji begin to prepare himself to charge, but I grabbed the back of his shirt to halt him. "Go!"

None of us moved. Asuma remained stoic, watching us carefully. I grabbed Shikamaru as well and pulled the two of them backwards. Shikamaru brushed himself off. "Don't be so rough, Niwaka. I already know what you're thinking."

"Good. Then you agree the test isn't straightforward." Chouji looked completely and utterly lost.

"Yeah. Asuma-sensei wants to try to make us compete for this. But that's not the correct way to pass."

"My thoughts exactly."

"What do you two mean?" Chouji demanded.

"Chouji, you remember what Iruka-sensei always used to say," Shikamaru said.

Chouji nodded. "Teamwork. That's the true power of the ninja."

"Right."

"When you think about that," I said, building onto Shikamaru's thoughts, "it doesn't make sense that our team leader would tell us to betray our teammates to get to the other side first. In other words, we're supposed to all cross at the same time. That way none of us will fail."

Shikamaru smiled lazily. "You're pretty good."

"Not bad yourself," I murmured. "But this is where it'll be tricky. It would have been extremely simple if we were to compete. If one of us distracted him the other two could easily take advantage and run for it. But if we're right, then we would fail for not using teamwork."

"But now that we all have to cross at the same time," Shikamaru said, "we need to figure out a way to catch his attention, but be able to get all three of us there at once."

"But we don't know any of his techniques," Chouji said, concerned. "We have no idea what counters we should use against him. He is a jounin after all."

"We don't need to," Shikamaru said a smirk growing on his face. "In fact, it's his attacks that we need to count on."

"What are you thinking?" I asked, already catching onto the answer.

"We're going to use a trick of our own."

Approximately ten minutes later, I settled into the top of the tree, sliding a shuriken out of my side pocket. If the plan was moving correctly, then Shikamaru was in the bushes to the left and Chouji on the right. I just had to wait for the signal before kicking off our attack. _Any moment, any moment._Asuma jumped to the side as a kunai shot past and buried itself into the bridge post._There._I aimed and fired, sending the shuriken at our sensei with deadly accuracy. Asuma dodged it easily though. Kunais and shurikens continued to fly from the tree and the bushes.

Just before my last shuriken left my hand, Chouji burst out of his cover, magnified and completely round, rolling at an incredible speed toward the bridge. _Keep going, Chouji._Obviously Asuma thought of our attacks as jokes. I didn't blame him. But this was going exactly as meant. The jounin jumped over Chouji's Human Meat Tank and returned to the ground in an instant. Chouji switched directions and charged again

That was my cue. Time to show Asuma exactly what a Nyuushin could do. Jumping down from the branches I drew a scroll from my pocket, slowly unrolling it and forming seals at the same time. "Broken Avalanche Technique!" I yanked the scroll open completely as I passed over Asuma's head and my technique began to come into effect. Large chunks of stone poured from the scroll and rained onto Asuma. He dodged those as well, though with more difficulty since he was avoiding Chouji at the same time. _Shikamaru should be going about now._It was as if the boy had heard my thoughts. As soon as my feet hit the grass, he lunged from the bushes and aimed at Asuma with his kunai. The older ninja was beating him down without any effort at all, but Chouji continued his Meat Tank without fail. Asuma didn't have time to see what I was doing. I brought my hands together, forming new seals as Chouji and Shikamaru waged their weak attacks. Time for the finishing blow. "Now, Shikamaru!"

He was holding off Asuma with a lone kunai, but leapt away as he heard me. "Shadow Imitation!" Chouji came to a stop and his body deflated. Asuma and Shikamaru were both standing still, connected by one long, black shadow.

"I see," Asuma said with a knowing smile. "You plan to hold me here while the other two escape. Very noble of you."

"You wish," Shikamaru said, and to Asuma's apparent surprise he began to run, and thanks to the technique, Asuma was forced to mirror him. Shikamaru gained speed, rushing around in a perfect circle at the middle of the bridge. I formed the rest of my seals and jumped over the two ninja's, blurred by how fast they were spiraling.

"Shikamaru! Chouji!" Shikamaru stopped dead in his tracks in front of me, facing Asuma on the opposite side of the bridge. Chouji was also standing with us, looking pleased with himself. "Alright guys. Retreat." The boys grinned and Shikamaru released Asuma's shadow. Perfectly synchronized, the three of us hopped off the bridge and onto solid ground next to the bench and the tree where we'd started. I grinned at my teammates and they nodded proudly.

"We've won!" we all called out at once to Asuma.

"Won?" Asuma asked, clearly enjoying what he thought was our incompetence. "You're on the same side you started on."

"Or so you think," Shikamaru said. "Show him, Niwaka."

"Release!" The bench and the tree melted away as did the rest of the scenery behind us to be replaced by a clearing in front of a dense forest. Asuma whirled around to see our starting point not at our backs, but at his.

"Huh?" He looked back at us. "Genjutsu?"

"Right," I told him crossing my arms. "The first attacks were only a distraction while Shikamaru got close to you. We only needed him to disorient you."

"Then," Shikamaru added. "Niwaka used her genjutsu to give the impression that the sides were switched while we spun so that you couldn't tell afterwards. You couldn't detect it because you were never actually inside of the illusion."

"And we used that to our advantage to get to the other side," Chouji finished.

Asuma raised an eyebrow. "That's pretty astute for genins. I never expected such advanced attacks. Very well done. You all pass. You are now _officially_ ninjas of Konoha. Training starts tomorrow same time as this morning. The Hokage will contact us about missions sometime this week. Don't be late!" And he vanished. Again.

My teammates and I said our goodbyes for the moment and each went our separate ways. My first team "mission" was a success. In fact, it had gone much better than I'd expected it to. But there was still one chore to take care of. Hesitantly, I removed the Konoha forehead protector from my pocket once again. Asuma's words repeated in my head. _You are now_officially _ninjas of Konoha._Without a second thought, I removed my own feather band from my waist and dropped it into the dark pocket. Strangely calm, I tied the leaf around my hip. Konoha ninja indeed.

* * *

**END! Some familiar characters here. Hopefully they're not too OoC. And I bet you noticed (if you didn't I'll be disappointed in your sleuthing skills) that I replaced Ino in her group with Niwaka. I am excessively sorry if anyone is a diehard Ino fan, but unless you're focusing on Sakura and her obsession with Sasuke, then she's not exactly important. The reason for keeping the other teams the same: Niwaka doesn't have too much involvement with Sakura or Sasuke until later, and since they go on the Zabuza and Haku mission, they're gone for a while. Also, I wanted to keep Hinata's team the same. Just 'cause. Alright, I'm done blabbing.**


	3. A Day in the Life

**Hello, again! Wow, yesterday and today were extremely productive for more than one writing project which is why chapter 3 is out so early. Yeah, this one's kind of a filler. Most of it is completely unnecessary except for the last part... But you do find out what Niwaka's techniques are (besides Broken Avalanche). With that, I bid you adieu.**

**13Noir - Thanks an unbelievable amount! Firstly, encouragement is always good and I will most definitely continue because I haven't exactly gotten to the parts I planned. (I always come up with the middle but getting there is the hard part...) And also since you're my first reviewer. If I could, I would give you a giant cookie. As it is, I can't, but you can have a virtual one!**

* * *

The next few days were both fascinating and repetitive at the same time. Shikamaru, Chouji, and I all began our training under Asuma. We started out with only with the basic taijutsu. Asuma explained that it was our primary weapon for any kind of fight when you didn't know what types of techniques the enemy could use. In between training, the Third Hokage often gave us those small D-rank missions, the ones like picking up trash, or washing the faces of the Hokages that were carved into the mountain. I wasn't learning many new taijutsu moves, but I was finding out more about the village and its people.

For the three of us genins, the routine seemed insipid, though we all knew we would never last a minute in a C-rank or higher. Despite this, team ten worked well together in our small situations and earned good ratings from the Hokage. Asuma's praises were rare, however, and therefore much more worth the earning.

It wasn't until after a few weeks that our new teacher mentioned any use of ninjutsu. And the first day of that new kind of training happened to be the most interesting yet. Asuma arrived precisely on time, as usual, cigarette in his mouth and hands in his pockets. Chouji was busy stuffing his face with chips, a habit I'd come to terms with. I even thought it was kind of amusing. Shikamaru never surprised me anymore with his predictable cloud watching, but I was warier of him now than when we had first met; although he passed himself off as a lazy slacker, his strategy was impeccable. He had challenged me to several games of Shogi, and I, an okay player, had lost in less than five minutes. "Hey, everyone!" Asuma said sauntering up to us. "Today is going to be a bit different than before."

"Are you finally going to teach us something useful?" Shikamaru closed his eyes and opened them again slowly, flicking his pupils to watch Asuma.

"That depends on what you call useful," the jounin answered. "What is your opinion on ninjutsu?" Chouji's hand stopped halfway to his mouth, and Shikamaru may have even twitched a little. I myself came forward from the tree I was leaning on to listen more closely. Asuma grinned. "You all seem more or less interested. But today is not going to be full-fledged combat skill preparation. We'll start out with finding your strengths and weaknesses, what techniques you already know, and which ones you have ability for but have not yet been taught. I'm going to run a few simple experiments and then when we're finished we'll go out to eat."

"Alright!" Chouji said jumping up. "What should we do?" Shikamaru and I exchanged bemused glances. Chouji also failed to surprise either of us.

"Everyone, sit down in a circle," Asuma ordered. We complied wondering where he could possibly be going with this. "Now you should already know some techniques taught by your family or other members of your clan. I know you do, since I saw you use them for our first test. I'll be able to get an insight on what techniques you'll succeed with by knowing which ones you can use already. Chouji, you first."

Chouji looked almost mournful. "The only technique I know right now is Human Meat Tank. But there are other things that the Akimichi clan knows. I've been working on Partial Double Size and some other things with my father..."

"That's more than enough for right now Chouji," Asuma said encouragingly. "After all, you only just became a genin. Shikamaru?"

"I know less than Chouji," he admitted. "Only Shadow Imitation. I haven't even started learning anything else."

"That's what I'm here for. Niwaka, I'm eager to hear what kind of ninjutsu the Nyuushin clan possesses. I've never seen any."

I took a deep breath. "Our techniques are based on creativity, and there are five different types. Most ninjas have two or three of them. I was lucky enough to have four. The first is Pseudo-Animation which I used before. Our scrolls contain paintings corresponding to what attack we want to use.

"The second is called the Elemental Song. I cut off chakra release from everywhere but my throat, and that way I can use different melodies to control each of the five elements to a limited extent. It's not a very powerful technique, but it can be versatile.

"Porcelain Warrior is the third. It consists of an animal figure infused with chakra which can be made life-size and active. It's almost like a summoning technique, but the figurine is extremely delicate and can only hold off small damage before disappearing.

"The last I have is Written Word. It's another scroll technique, but instead of calling objects or animals, it calls characters. Each ninja who's learned this technique creates person they can use to fight alongside them temporarily. It's a difficult thing to do when you're low on chakra, because to make the summon substantial, you have to give away some of your chakra to them to give them form. There are limits to them as well since each can hold only two techniques besides taijutsu, and the techniques aren't too powerful."

"What about the last technique?" Chouji wondered. "What's the one that you don't have?" Asuma and Shikamaru nodded in agreement and curiosity.

"The last is a Bloodline Limit," I answered mechanically. "It's extremely rare and powerful. I myself have never seen it. It's called Parallel Fantasy, and beneath it there are several subordinate moves. In essential, it's a mix between ninjutsu and genjutsu. The ninja creates an illusionary world within their own self-conscious that they can retreat to any time. It also serves as a well of chakra in cases when they don't have enough. Using their illusionary self within the genjutsu, they are able to reserve half of the chakra they produce and fill the well. They can also monitor how much they save. The Parallel Fantasy doesn't only serve for chakra restoration, though. Its main purpose is for another kind of summoning." The three of them were watching me in awe, even the jounin. "This technique allows the user to take a completely fabricated character with all the traits of a real ninja and make them into a permanent being. The character is temporarily sealed into the user's mind, but can be released into reality at the ninja's will. Besides the chakra needed to remove the seals, none is needed to fuel them since they are already a separate entity. It's like having a backup ninja living inside your body. But the duration of the solid technique is limited, and without any prior training, the character can only stay in reality for a day. The duration can be lengthened by training and experience though," I finished. I don't think I'd ever talked that much in my entire life.

"Wow," Chouji said wistfully. "That sounds so cool!"

"A very impressive technique," Asuma said. "It's too bad that it's so rare among your clan." He leaned his elbows on his knees with a vaguely contemplative expression. "Here is my estimation for each of you and your ninjutsu. Chouji, your most prominent asset is brute strength, which is the Akimichi's power. We'll want to balance that out with improving your speed, stamina, and accuracy. It will be best if you're honed as the muscle of this team.

"Shikamaru, I can tell you're not the violent type. Most of your techniques won't be centered around attacking your opponent, but rather taking advantage of them which is clear from your Shadow Imitation. More importantly, you have an enormous gift for strategy. You can already direct this team well, but we're going to get you prepared for any kind of situation. It will also be good for you to have at least one good attack up your sleeve since taijutsu won't always be effective. You're the brains.

"Niwaka. Most of the techniques you use are simple attack and powerful supportive. You're already well rounded out for battle. As long as your taijutsu is kept accurate then we'll continue with supporting techniques. I also see you have a few genjutsu but we won't be working on them just yet." I nodded, understanding. "And you've got some common sense like Shikamaru. It would be best as the support member for you to learn healing before anything else."

_Healing? Never thought about that one before..._There really weren't many healers among the Nyuushin. It was true, we specialized in genjutsu and the various ninjutsu. Our actual attacks were weak though because we normally depended on our summoning or combining our weaker attacks with those of our comrades. At least, that's what I'd always been taught. _Maybe if mom and dad's team had had a healer... Maybe they'd be alive._ I shook off the thought quickly before any more memories could rear their ugly heads.

"Alright!" Asuma said and jumped to his feet. "Chouji, Meat Tank in a zigzag pattern, hitting each tree at the vertex of your turns." Chouji took a couple of seconds to understand what he meant, but clenched his fist in determination. "Shikamaru, I want you to stand ten meters away from the forest and practice stretching your shadow from your feet to the trees." The boy sighed, obviously bored. "Niwaka, use Elemental Song on the river and see how fast you can fill up the barrels by the dock. Everybody, go!"

That one day alone was the most exhausting so far. Not only did Asuma stretch each of our techniques to the breaking point, but for _six_ straight hours. Chouji nearly passed out from dizziness and according to Shikamaru, he could barely see, since his entire line of vision was covered in moving shadows. I, for one, had lost my voice from the Elemental Song and wasn't prepared to even croak until I'd had something to drink. Afterwards, as promised, Asuma took us out to barbeque at Chouji's suggestion and the three of us ate ravenously (especially Chouji). But the day didn't end there. As a last bit of torture, Asuma forced us into two more hours, this time of straight taijutsu.

By the end of the day, none of us were in any condition to move. I'd thought I was in good shape before, but now I understood why my parents had held Konoha in such high esteem. They were obviously breeders of monster ninjas, or at least that's the way it seemed to me. I was forcing myself to walk home, about ready to fall over and die, when I came upon Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. The two boys seemed to be arguing about something.

"—could have done just fine by myself, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted arms crossed and eyes squinted shut."

"Whatever." Sasuke's voice was possibly less interested than Shikamaru's and almost cold in regard. "Just don't expect me to come save you next time."

"_Sasuke!_" Naruto yelled and made to hit him.

"Stop it, Naruto!" Sakura told him loudly and whacked him over the head.

I smiled. Naruto rubbing people the wrong way again. It seemed to happen a lot. "That's mean, Sakura-chan..." Naruto said pouting. It was so obvious that Naruto liked Sakura. I guessed that all the genins must have known. What an interesting situation. I'd figured it out pretty much over the past week. Hinata liked Naruto, Naruto liked Sakura, and Sakura liked Sasuke. But then again, there should have been other people mixed up in it. Maybe they were actually inconspicuous with their feelings unlike those three.

Whether it was my extreme fatigue doing things to my brain or I was just feeling abnormally generous, I walked up to the three of them. "Hey you guys." Sakura waved; I'd gotten to know her a little better and when she wasn't around Sasuke or her rival, Ino, then she was pretty nice. Naruto gave me his characteristic grin, and Sasuke... didn't do anything. "You want to come with me to Ichiraku? My treat."

"Of course, Niwaka-chan!" Naruto looked like he could have jumped over the moon at the prospect of ramen. Sakura looked to Sasuke first before answering. When he shrugged she smiled at me.

"Looks like we're all coming."

We ordered our food quickly and as Naruto began to eat, I asked, "Didn't you three just come back from a big mission?"

"Yeah," Naruto replied, mouth full of noodles. "In the Country of the Wave. We had to fight these two really powerful ninjas from the Hidden Mist."

"Really?"

"It was terrible," Sakura added. "Sasuke-kun nearly got killed. But he managed to survive," she said proudly.

"No," Sasuke said without looking at anything in particular. "The only reason I didn't die was because the enemy missed my vitals on purpose and only knocked me out."

I creased my forehead. That was something new. "Well, you're lucky in any case. At least all three of you made it. Wasn't it supposed to be a C-rank, though?"

"Tazuna-san gave us the wrong information," Naruto said in a kind of annoyed voice. "He didn't say that we would be pursued by other ninjas or anything like that. It was A-rank at _least._"

_A-rank? They went on an A-rank mission?_ It was hard to tell, but I may have been just a little jealous. After all, in my own village I'd only ever been on a C-rank. And I had been a genin for years whereas Naruto had only been for weeks. Then again... Naruto did have the Kyuubi sealed inside him as I'd found out recently. _It must amplify his chakra power a hundredfold._

After we'd finished eating, I said goodnight to team seven and finished walking to my house just as the sun went down. I supposed this is what a day in my life would be like from now on with scattered missions in between. _Man, a day in my life sucks._

* * *

Time continued to pass slowly but surely. The training began to feel less rigorous and soon Chouji, Shikamaru, and I were used to it. Half a day was spent on our ninjutsu and the other half on taijutsu. Chouji and Shikamaru not only practiced their techniques, but Asuma began to teach them new ones that would be useful later. Chouji would be able to string kunais to the outside of his body while using Human Meat Tank, making the attack even more powerful. Shikamaru meanwhile, was busy with his own attack; once he captured someone in his Shadow Imitation, he could use the shadow to suffocate the victim.

On the other hand, I wasn't learning any new techniques. I didn't really see the need for at this point. Thanks to my prior training, I was farther ahead than my two teammates and before I learned any more moves I wanted them to be at the same level. Otherwise the team would be uneven. I didn't think either of them would be too far away from the goal though, thanks to Asuma.

I spent the training on improving my control over Elemental Song with water, air, and fire. Earth was harder to manipulate, and I hadn't even started that at Umougakure yet. I also focused on Pseudo-Animation, making sure I could summon at any given spot within range. Besides Broken Avalanche, I also could use Chilling Waterfall, a scroll of similar proportions except, of course, with water. I didn't want to call on my other two techniques just yet. I wanted to improve my chakra use for the first two, since the others used up nearly all of my chakra in one go. Training for them would be much harsher. And besides that, I still hadn't completely mastered the use of Written Word.

Another couple of weeks passed in this fashion. Missions came and missions went and the entire team saw improvement. Asuma seemed pleased with our progress, and one afternoon took us out to eat for the first time since our first ninjutsu training. We sat outside the shop in the sunlight quietly, just enjoying the fact that we weren't working hard at that moment. Suddenly Asuma's face became grave and he looked up toward the sky. I followed his gaze and glimpsed a large, brown eagle with white wingtips. _An omen?_

"Guys," he said not taking his eyes off the bird. "I have something I need to take care of right now. Training continues tomorrow, got it?" We looked at each other, confused, as he disappeared.

"What was that?" Chouji asked putting down his bag of chips.

"I don't know," Shikamaru said seriously. "But I have a bad feeling about this."

"You're not the only one," I muttered. "Maybe he'll tell us what's up tomorrow. For now, we should probably get back to training—"

Chouji and Shikamaru moaned. "No, Niwaka, please!" Chouji implored, tugging at my sleeve. "Anything but that!"

"Come on, he won't kill us if we skip one day," Shikamaru said.

"Fine," I conceded. "What should we do then?" Neither of them answered. They were already running down the street. "Shikamaru! Chouji!" I ran after them cursing my lack of observation skills. "You're both terrible people!"

* * *

"Good news, everyone!" Asuma said as he walked into the training grounds the next day.

"Barbeque?" Chouji asked impulsively. Shikamaru and I sighed. Chouji...

"No, even better. I've recommended all three of you for the Chuunin Exam."

I blinked. The Chuunin Exam. Already? I wasn't sure if I was ready, even with my experience. _And besides..._ I looked sidelong at Shikamaru and Chouji. _If the entire team doesn't join, then I can't._

"It's troublesome," Shikamaru stated. "But I'll enter."

Chouji took a bit more thought. "I don't really want to enter yet," he admitted. "But if I don't then Shikamaru and Niwaka can't enter either, can they?" Asuma remained silent. "I'll do it too," he decided and finished the last chip in his bag with a satisfying crunch.

"It's settled then." Asuma took a few pieces of paper from his green jacket and handed them to us. "Here are your registration forms. You have to register by three o'clock tomorrow in room 301 of the Academy. Alright?"

"Hai," we answered studying the forms.

"Good. Now let's get started."

* * *

**Completely pointless chapter, I know. Some things: I know I make it sound like Niwaka is some kind of crazy skilled ninja with her techniques, but as you know, she's been a genin for over five years (not sure how many I originally said). Also, she's the daughter of two very skilled ninjas and it's very possible that her "extra" technique resulted from that. Last, you do notice she's still pretty far behind in her actual training. One more thing, I didn't mention it, but Niwaka isn't very strong. She has mostly speed, but her actual attack power is minimal, so it's not as if she's that great.**

**About the techniques: Pseudo-Animation and Elemental Song are pretty straightforward. Same with Porcelain Warrior. To understand Written Word a little more, it's not as ultimate as it sounds. The characters that are called are almost like shadow clones, but there are some differences. They can't be replicated by Niwaka, and they can take more than one hit. They're essentially more powerful than a single shadow clone and the porcelain warrior, but they are only limited to the two moves. Also, calling just one takes up an enormous amount of chakra, so basically if you're the current Niwaka, then basically if you use that, then you'd better win in one shot otherwise you're done for. But what would more training do about that? Hm...**

**Anyway, this is where things start to heat up a little. More familiar characters, new and action-packed battles, and possibly the omen of some mystery couples revealed! It should make up for this chapter, I promise.**

**Insert heart here.**


	4. Tests

**'Allo there. Unfortunately, I've been cut down to an hour on my computer per weekday which will be affecting how often I get to write. BUUUUT that will not be too bad. It'll take me a few days per chapter though. Anyway, here's the first part of the Chuunin Exam. Enjoy!**

**Hannah/13Noir - Sadly yes, you are my only reviewer, but that makes you extra special.**

* * *

"So what do you think the Chuunin exam is like?" Chouji asked as we headed toward the Academy.

"I dunno," Shikamaru said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "They make it sound like it's such a big deal, though. It can't be _too_difficult."

"I think you're underestimating it," I told him. "They could ask us to do anything."

"Anything?" Chouji quavered at the word.

"Anything," I confirmed. "They could ask you to go a week without eating barbeque." He nearly fell over in horror. "Or they could ask Shikamaru to go without sleep for three days. Not that they would ask for either of those things in the first place."

"Don't scare us like that, Niwaka-chan," Chouji said, more than a little disgruntled. As always there was a little cloud of ninjas hanging around the door to the Academy. Shouldering our way through the crowd, we entered and walked down the hall to the stairs. On the second floor, we approached the steps that would lead to the third floor. But about halfway there we were stopped by a large group of genins crowded outside a room. When I looked at the number on the side of the wall, I had to do a double take. It said 301. We were clearly on the second floor. Two ninjas were standing at the front of the room barring the entrance. The genins looked as if they were trying to pass.

"Shikamaru, don't you think it's annoying when people try to trick you?" I asked.

"Very much so," he said. "You want to tell them they're on the wrong floor? Or should we act cool and just ignore them?"

"I vote for looking cool," Chouji said with a grin.

"Agreed," Shikamaru and I answered. We slipped behind the group toward the other end of the hall. Where the real stairs were.

We hadn't gone more than a few meters before someone called, "Hey. Where do you think you're going?" I turned around. The one who'd talked must have been the tall boy, clothed all in black and wearing vibrant purple makeup. I eyed the bandaged object that he carried on his back suspiciously. I would have expected him to be the one flanked by his teammates, but instead he stood off to the side of another kid probably the same age as us.

A chill ran down my spine as I looked at him. I had never felt so frightened by just looking at a person before. He wasn't close to being as tall as the other boy, but he carried himself as stiffly upright as a board, arms crossed and face stern. Red hair fell across his forehead over some sort of symbol above one of his eyes. I couldn't tell what it said from this distance, but I was more focused on the eyes themselves. Icy blue and empty, borders thick and dark. The girl on his other side looked extremely confident in herself and I frowned inwardly at her. Something about her bothered me.

"Looks like we'll have to tell them _and_act cool," I muttered.

"How troublesome."

"We're going to room 301," I yelled back to them. "What are you doing trying to get into room 201? Is it really that interesting in there?" _That's about as cool as it gets_, I thought a little bit more haughtily than I really intended. The middle boy's frown deepened. In a split second the genjutstu on the room vanished. He'd done it without moving at all. Without even twitching. What a guy. "Now if you'll excuse us—"

"Wait." The boy turned his frosty gaze in my direction. I almost looked away, but held his eyes with mine as if this was a test of our wills. "What's your name?"

To his, my and everyone else's surprise, I smiled. "If I'm someone worth noting, then I guess you'll find out when you need to." He looked furious, but I didn't dwell on it. Whether or not the three of them wanted to kill me now, I had something to do. And that was pass this silly exam. "Come on. Chouji. Shikamaru."

We didn't turn around again as we ascended the steps and walked the hallway. The other genins didn't follow us right away, but would soon follow. Finally we got to the real room 301. Shikamaru stopped in front of the door. "No second guessing now." Chouji grunted his approval and I nodded.

"Let's go," Chouji said and grabbed the handles on the doors forcing them open.

"Hey! You guys are taking the Chuunin Exam too?" A small ball of fuzz leapt out of nowhere and attached itself to my leg. Akamaru yipped playfully and licked my shoe as I gave him a treat.

"Kiba-kun!" I waved to him and picked up the puppy carefully. Shino and Hinata stepped out from behind Kiba both looking vaguely proud (though it was hard to tell in Shino's case because of his high collar and glasses) of themselves. "I'm glad you all made it. I hear we're the first rookies to enter in five years."

"That's right," Kiba said excitedly.

"Kurenai-sensei said we were ready," Hinata murmured. "I don't really think..."

"Hinata, you need to have more confidence," I told her. "This is me being completely straightforward, honest, and with no ulterior motive whatsoever."

"Rare for Niwaka-san isn't it?"

I swiveled around. "Okay, who said that?" I raised my eyebrows as Kiba coughed and gestured at his other teammate. "Shino, now you too? Why is everyone teasing me all of a sudden?"

"Because you react," Shikamaru and Shino said at the same time.

I sighed, but didn't answer. "Anyway, Hinata, it's no surprise that Kurenai-sensei recommended you. You've already begun training with your Byakugan, right?"

"Hai," she said. "But I'm still far behind what Father considers accomplished."

I grimaced. Hinata had mentioned her father a few times before, and from the little I'd heard, I already wished that I could knock his head around. If he saw how hard Hinata had been training for the past few weeks, then he might understand exactly how lucky he was to have her as a daughter. I'd often come upon her on my few days off, training alone in the forest. Why did parents always have to complicate things?

In a few minutes, the shinobi we'd left on the second floor arrived. We parted for them as they walked past into the sea of genins farther in the room. As the three foreign kids brushed past me, I saw the forehead protector around the girl's neck. It was from the Hidden Sand, and I observed the middle boy again, this time trying to figure out anything I could. I guessed that the gourd tied to his robes had some significance, but other than that I couldn't surmise anything. But one thing I did see. The symbol on his forehead was undeniably the word 'love'.

Almost as soon as they'd settled themselves, the familiar team seven walked in. Sasuke had that look on his face as always. The one that suggested he was better than everyone else. Sakura looked a bit nervous, and Naruto, predictably, was glaring at Sasuke. Did those two never stop getting on each other's nerves? I'd talked to Sakura about it, and she'd told me it had something to do with their mission in the Country of the Wave.

I stood aside as their team rendezvoused with the rest of ours. There were so many genins in the room that I was beginning to feel very small. It was three o'clock already, and no one had showed up. Looked like we would have to wait. I got comfortable, leaning on the nearest wall, but almost as soon as I had, the imminent argument popped up among the rookies. I didn't move at first, but I saw the other genins' attention on them. I wondered who had caused the dispute in the first place. _Probably Naruto..._At this rate they would get pummeled.

I was about to say something, but someone else beat me to it. An older genin with glasses and a silver ponytail. According to his protector he was also from Konoha. I wasn't listening too closely, but after he began talking the other rookies must have realized that they were making a scene. He seemed friendly enough, though in a strange sort of way. I joined Shikamaru and Chouji just in time to hear something about recognition cards.

"Recognition cards?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Yeah," the man said. "Cards with my chakra burned into them. Over the years I've collected information on this exam and it's contained in these cards." _Logging information? Cheater._He continued his explanation with some fancy card tricks and glowing. But would these really help him if he hadn't passed the exam the six other times before?

"Are there any cards that have detailed personal information?" Sasuke asked suddenly. I looked at him sharply. He must have met someone before the registration.

"Did you have someone in mind?"

"Gaara of the Hidden Sand and Rock Lee from Konoha," he answered without a second thought.

_Sand... He couldn't mean that kid, could he?_The man shuffled the cards expertly and drew one from the pile. The first he drew was Rock Lee, a black haired boy with large round eyes and tick brows. Judging from the information, he was skilled in taijutsu, but lacking in ninjutsu and genjutsu. "—and his team is composed of Tenten and Hyuuga Neji." At the name 'Hyuuga' I started. Another Hyuuga? I glanced at Hinata whose face had fallen ever so slightly. She looked away, with a small tremble in her hands. "And Gaara of the Desert." As he injected the chakra into the card, I turned my head again and watched it closely. The picture that came up perfectly matched the boy with the gourd. The information was astounding. Eight C-rank missions and one B-rank as a genin? And without even so much as a scratch coming back from any of them. Maybe I had been foolish after all angering someone like that.

I was lost in thought for a minute or two, but the reckless Naruto struck again. "My name is Umuzaki Naruto! I'm not going to lose to any of you!" I cringed as he shouted it; now I was more scared for him than anyone else. "Got that?" _He's dead,_ I concluded watching Sakura attempt to smooth over the situation. After the outburst it looked as if any of the other teams would jump out and maim him any second.

As it was, none of them moved. Except one. Three different genin were speeding through the room seemingly toward us at the other end. I didn't see much of what happened, but one of the genin threw a couple of kunais at the silver-haired man who jumped back as they impaled the ground. A second ninja, face nearly covered in bandages and some kind of fur blanket on his back aimed a punch at his face. The man dodged it with a smirk, but a few seconds later, his glasses cracked. I gasped, thinking fast. What kind of attack was that? Surely the ninja had meant it to be avoided. Had that been the goal? I watched carefully. Neither of them moved. It wasn't until later that the man collapsed onto the ground.

"Kabuto-san!" Sakura shouted as she and Naruto hurried toward him. _Kabuto? Where have I heard that name before...?_The ninjas looked menacing from their standpoint having knocked a veteran to the ground. From the Hidden Village of Sound. I'd never heard of them before today. They were definitely dangerous. The test was full of surprises. I closed my eyes. Now I was certain that I wasn't ready.

"Quiet down!" All the genins in the room swung around at once to face the front where the voice had come from. A cloud of smoke was beginning to disperse in front of the chalkboard revealing a large group of people. The man at the forefront was heavily scarred and wearing a long black coat. More ominous people on the way. On either side of him I saw the rest of the people were all wearing grey uniforms and forehead protectors. I glimpsed Izumo and Kotetsu among them and thought hard. _A bunch of Chuunins?_

"Sorry to keep you waiting," the supposed leader said in a deep, carrying voice. "I am the examiner of this first test, Morino Ibiki."

"First test?" I heard Shikamaru murmur. "How many are there going to be?"

"Shush," I whispered, eyes never leaving the examiner.

He was possibly more imposing than the Hokage as he yelled at the three Sound ninjas. To my relief, he said that there would be no fighting unless given permission, and there would be no killing whatsoever. "We'll now begin. Turn in your applications and take a number tablet. Once you finish, sit where the number tells you."

Everyone lined up in a disorganized clump and by the time we were all sitting, I was separated from all of the other rookies and, to my excessive discomfort, placed next to Gaara of the Desert. I made sure to avoid his gaze as we waited for Ibiki to begin the first portion of the exam. I looked around to see where the others were sitting. They were all scattered, none close to each other, except for Hinata who had been seated next to Naruto. _Hinata, you lucky girl_, I said wishing I could catch her eye. I was much more cheerful when I saw that she had gotten to the courage to talk to him. Maybe her training was having more than one good effect on her.

Ibiki began to explain the test soon afterward. It was a written exam, of course, with ten questions and deduction-based. Nothing out of the ordinary. Pass or fail based on the team's total points? There was that teamwork again. One zero and we all fail? Cheating, of course. We lose two points per action. Wait. Only two points? _Those who try to cheat without thinking carefully will only hurt themselves._What was that supposed to mean? And I supposed cheating _with_thinking was acceptable? _If you're a ninja, then act like a first-rate one..._Was this a trick question? It almost sounded as if they wanted us to cheat either way. And that last question... There was something seriously wrong with this entire exam. None of it added up.

"Begin!" Everyone flipped their tests over simultaneously. I read over the questions. Parabolas? Predictions? Ciphers? I wasn't exactly great at those kinds of things... Sure I could read a map and make basic assumptions about battle, but logic wasn't my strong point. And if I failed, then we all failed. I was sure Shikamaru wouldn't have a problem with most of the questions. After all, according to Asuma he was a genius with an IQ over 200. Even Chouji could have answered at least one of the questions. I knew that Shikamaru had been helping him with his academics over the course of our training. But I had skipped out because I was too lazy.

_Two points per cheat. If I was able to get all of the answers in one go, then that would leave me with seven points. If Shikamaru and Chouji each cheated as well in the same way, then together we'd wind up with 21 points, not counting the tenth question._I looked around. People were already beginning to write down their answers. I chanced a look at Gaara. One of his eyes was closed, and he was concentrating on something. So Gaara was cheating too? _I don't think there's any way you could pass unless you did cheat,_I said to myself, contemplating my options. _That must be the trick. Instead of kicking us flat out for cheating, they're giving us the two point deduction. They_want _us to cheat._ Well, in that case, I could definitely do something.

I reached into one of my back pockets, and fumbled around. My fingers met several pieces of smooth material, but I pushed most of them aside, looking for the right one. Finally, I pulled my hand out gripping the small porcelain bird inside it. Kumoboufuu, the white eagle. I forced some chakra from my fingers into the figurine, and as its wings stretched out, it began to shrink as well. By the time it was done, it was the size of a gnat. Completely undetectable. I brought Kumoboufuu beside my mouth and whispered instructions to the creature. It flew off into the midst of the genins to gather its information.

The writing continued, and by the time the eagle returned thirty minutes had passed. Fifteen until the tenth question. I copied down the answers Kumoboufuu had gathered, and gave him new instructions. "Find Shikamaru and Chouji and make sure they have the right answers. If not, tell them the correct ones."

"A team effort?" Kumoboufuu said. "Or are you just worried for them, Niwaka-sama?"

"Both," I admitted. "We all need to pass or else none of us will move on."

"As you say," Kumoboufuu said. I could only guess that the tiny bird was shrugging. It was around that time that the failings began. Numbers of genins were told to leave. Some left quickly. Others were forcibly removed. I was glad to see that none of the failures were ones I knew. Another ten minutes passed and over a third of the original people were gone. Kumoboufuu returned shortly with news of success and I was able to breathe much more easily. We'd made it.

The last five minutes passed is silence and that was when Ibiki announced e would give the tenth problem. A special rule for the last problem, if I'd heard correctly. I shut my eyes and concentrated on what he was saying. A hopeless rule? _Get on with it, old man._

"First you will choose whether to take this tenth problem or not." _That's definitely weird._ And our points would be reduced to zero if we didn't take it. Not much option there. And if we get it wrong. Wait a damn minute, never be able to become a chuunin ever? _This is some sort of torture. But I have confidence in Kumoboufuu's ability. And we can definitely pull this off._I found Chouji and Shikamaru among the crowd. They both nodded at me with grave expressions. We would take it.

Several groups left, and the tension in the room rose. One hand began rising slowly above the others. Naruto's hand. _Don't do it, don't do it_, I pleaded. _Naruto, whatever you do don't give in just yet._He must have gotten some kind of vibe or something, because in the next instant he slammed his fist down on the table and stood up. There he was stating his "Way of the Ninja" again. The atmosphere in the room changed significantly. Even the stony Gaara had a slight air of respect. That Naruto.

"Nice determination. Then for the first exam, everyone here passes!" _What the hell! That creep! He didn't even have a tenth question._I sighed. All that work for nothing. And Kumoboufuu had worked so hard, too. But inwardly I grinned. We'd done it. We were done with the first part of the exam.

No sooner had Ibiki announced the end, when the glass on the side of the room broke in an explosion of glass fragments. Next thing I knew, a woman was standing in front of Ibiki. "There's no time to be happy!" she shouted at us. "I'm Mitarashi Anko, the second examiner. Let's go everyone!" Utter and complete silence. All of the genins left stared at her in astonishment. Ibiki muttered something to her and her face turned red.

I ran my fingers through my hair. Geez, they didn't waste any time, did they? So we were already moving on to the next exam. A lot of people had passed. Twenty-six teams, by my reckoning. But everyone seemed to lose their cool when Anko made her next announcement. "In this exam, over half of the teams will fail." Naruto and Sakura's faces fell and I sucked in my cheek. _Over half... She must be even tougher than this Ibiki guy._ "More information will be given tomorrow. Talk to your jounins about where and when to meet. You may go!"

"We did it!" I cried as soon as our group had left the Academy. I could have done flips if I'd felt like it. Chouji and Shikamaru looked less than enthusiastic about it and I had to drag them by their hands to get them to move. "Why aren't you celebrating with me?" I complained. "We just got to the second round of the Chuunin Exam, you idiots! Be _happy._"

"Yeah," Shikamaru said with a yawn. "Which is tomorrow, in case you've forgotten. I need to rest. Come on, Chouji. Niwaka can be energetic by herself."

Chouji shrugged. "Sorry, Niwaka. I need to get some more chips, though." He and Shikamaru walked in the other direction toward Ickiraku leaving me alone. I smiled and shook my head. They were such... _guys._But this was the perfect opportunity for me. My one moment to prepare for the exam.

I found a bench close to the outside of town, built into the side of the pathway. Settling down, I reached into my pocket once again, drawing out some things I hadn't looked at in months. Three crisp, white scrolls bound up with ribbon, several figurines, and a small rectangular box. Looking over my selection of Porcelain Warriors I chose two from the six there. The two most worn out, the mouse and the tiger. Keeping them the same size, I let my chakra flow into the statues. "Long time no see, Joucho, Soratsume."

"Long time, my tail," Soratsume grumbled licking her paw. "It's more like an eternity."

"Quite right," Joucho added. "What did you need?"

"I want to finish Yorukashu," I said with a slight glint in my eye.

Joucho looked nervous, Soratsume indifferent. "I thought you'd finished him ages ago." The tigress seemed impatient for me to get to the point.

"I'd like your opinion on his second technique," I admitted unrolling one of the scrolls. "My other three Written Words have almost covered assisting attacks that I can combine with mine. They all have the basic vine genjutsu, but their ninjutsu are pretty varying." I ticked them off on my fingers. "Soushi has shadow replication, Kusari has the twin sword dance, and Sekitan has fire jutsu. I was thinking of giving Yorukashu something else besides the veil of mist instead of another genjutsu."

"You'd be well supported if you gave them each a genjutsu," Joucho pointed out.

"But it's good to have at least one Written Word with two useful attacks," Soratsume said. "Genjutsu is not always dependable. More often than not, you'll have to fight physically."

"When you put it that way, it does make sense," Joucho said. "I agree."

"Then tell me what you think of this," I said leaning further down. "There's a boy in my group with something called the shadow imitation. It stretches your own shadow and uses it to control another person within range."

"I like it," Joucho announced. "It works perfectly for your attacks considering you're mostly short-range."

Soratsume flicked her tail. "Do what you want."

"I will," I said. "Would you like to stay and watch?"

Soratsume and Joucho looked at each other. "Not particularly. Put us back please."

"Okay, but you're missing out," I said and extracted my chakra before letting them fall into my pocket again. After some searching I found a blank scroll and laid it on my lap, opening the box to reveal a tiny pot of ink and brush. I'd just begun to write the first few seals for my new Written Word when I sensed people approaching.

I hurriedly crammed my materials into my pockets, not wanting to reveal my techniques. Looking down the long street, I realized that it was the three ninjas from the Hidden Sand again. They looked all business as they had looked at the exam. Was it their permanent setting? I wondered if they even felt emotions at all. That having crossed my mind, I had to know.

I reached for Joucho once again and the mouse blinked up at me with wide eyes. "Sorry for calling you out again. But I need a favor."

"I'm at your service."

"Thanks, as always," I said gratefully. "That boy over there, the one with the gourd..." I pointed at Gaara. "Do you think you could Read him for me?" She nodded and hopped onto the arm of the bench. Sniffing the air, she lifted her tail erect with her beady eyes fixed on Gaara. To my shock she fell off the bench with a muffled squeak. I caught her seconds before she hit the ground. "What is it? What happened?" I stroked her ears calmingly, but I could tell she was shaken.

"Why do you want to know about him?" Joucho inquired nervously.

"He's also taking the Chuunin Exam," I said, dreading what I might hear. "And there's something about him. I can't really tell what it is, but I'm curious. Why? Is it that bad?"

Joucho sighed heavily. "His aura is thick with cold hatred, and a thirst for blood. I've never seen anything this violent before. But..."

"But?" I prompted.

"Far underneath that all, and I mean far, there's a small drop of loneliness."

_Loneliness._That word always strikes a chord somewhere in my brain. I suppose it's a weakness of mine, but there's something about other people being lonely that I just can't stand. I've always thought that no one ever deserves to be alone, no matter how horrible their crime. Maybe some other punishment, but never complete isolation. Pity's a crazy thing, too. It can make you forget your most adamant instincts. Which is exactly what happened next.

The three ninjas were just walking past the bench and without a second thought, I said, "Good evening." They stopped. The boy with the face paint narrowed his eyes at me.

"What do you want?"

"To wish you a good evening," I repeated. "I'm sorry if that offends you." I smiled, trying to be friendly despite their attitudes.

"It does, coming from someone like you," the girl said sharply.

My smile fell and I suppose I must've looked vaguely contemplative. "Are you making assumptions on my attributes as a person?" I drummed my fingers on the bench. "Or as a ninja?" They didn't say anything, but I could tell they were completely apprehensive, ready to attack at once. "I think it's tiresome to be a ninja all the time, don't you? We have all those missions and responsibilities and never get to act like just a person, even for a day." I noticed Gaara's eyes moved away at that. I got up slowly and walked over in front of him. "I suppose it's unfair for me to know your name and you not know mine..." His expression clearly was daring me to keep talking. "... Gaara." His stare was perpetually passive, but I could sense his restlessness. It was like talking to a time-bomb. Suddenly, in a moment of foolishness, I murmured, "You want to kill me, don't you?"

At that, Gaara's eyes opened slightly wider. "Now you've done it," the girl said and grabbed the other boy's sleeve. "Out of the way, little girl. Come on, Kankuro." With that the three sand ninjas continued down the road at a faster pace than before. _I'll take that as a yes._

* * *

**Okay! End of chapter four. Some repetitiveness in terms of what happens during the general exam. I tried to keep it as true to the show as possible, but I left out the more unimportant stuff. We met Gaara! Yay! And more people coming up. Hope you liked it.**


	5. Anything With Death in Its Name is Bad

**Got it out! Success! Okay, so the meetings continue. I know it gets a bit tedious since most of them kinda happen the same, but I try to vary them at least a little. Also, they've gotta happen at some point. Exam part two. Some battle, some other stuff. You know, it's a mish-mosh.**

* * *

The rest of the day and the next morning flew by in a daze; I hardly remembered what I did that entire time besides falling asleep and waking up. Team ten met with Asuma in the customary spot where he told us how to get to the second exam. It didn't take very long to find it, since the large, fenced forest was pretty hard to miss. And when Anko announced that we would be going inside, I stared at it, unbelieving. The forty-fourth training area, also known as the Forest of Death. Sounded like a charming place.

But then the climactic wind blowing and fearsome name kind of slipped since that's when Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon decided to show up in their fake rock. Turned out they were there for some newspaper story about the Chuunin Exam. I didn't really believe them, but Anko seemed to like the idea of being presented in public... I watched the introductions just because it was amusing, despite the odd things being said. Konohamaru mostly focused on Naruto's group (not surprising since he thinks Naruto is his rival and leader). But then they did have a section on the other ninjas, which Sasuke took care of. I did find out some interesting facts though. He mentioned Gaara and Rock Lee and another kid on his team, which I supposed must have been Hyuuga Neji. It was those same three again, and the other rookies from Konoha.

The interviews killed some time though. I used it to check my equipment and such, made sure my scrolls and figurines were in order, and then observed the other ninjas who were milling around. I didn't dare approach Gaara or the Sand ninjas after what had happened yesterday. Maybe he would actually murder me this time.

But as I was looking around, I noticed the black-haired boy with the round eyes who I presumed was Rock Lee. He was looking at Sakura as she discussed ninjutsu with the three children and if I wasn't sadly mistaken, then he was blushing. _Not another one_. I slipped away from Shikamaru and Chouji and walked around the other ninjas to where he was standing. He didn't even notice that I was standing right next to him. "So, you like Sakura-chan?"

He jumped about five feet in the air with a yell and then scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "No, no, no, no, no." He laughed nervously. "Um, where did you come from?"

"Over there. And it's kind of obvious that you do."

"Okay, okay," he admitted, blush deepening, then he seemed to realize that he had never met me before and gave me a strange look.

"I'm sorry, that was rude," I said. "I'm Niwaka." I held out a hand. He looked at me as though I'd grown another head. "Something wrong?"

"No," he said slowly. "All of the other ninjas I've met were more interested in defeating me than shaking my hand."

I blinked. "So basically everyone here is so focused on the exam that they don't want to get to know the people they're competing against. That's silly. Just like Gaara. I tried to say hello to him like an ordinary greeting and now I'm sure if I walk within spitting distance I'll be maimed for life." He almost laughed at my indignant face and I reached out my hand again. "So will you shake or what?"

He took my hand firmly and smiled. "Rock Lee. Nice to meet you." There was a pause. "So what do you know about Sakura-san?"

I sighed. "Well, I know she's got her heart set on Sasuke." Lee looked a bit depressed at that. "But I doubt that he will ever be able to like someone that way in his entire life. If only all the girls could realize that, then perhaps more of the boys would have dates."

"So you're not in any way attached to any of what's going on," Lee confirmed.

"Completely neutral third party," I replied. "All I want is for my friends to be happy. And in all honesty, I don't think Sasuke would be able to make Sakura happy even if he _did_ care about his love-life." That seemed to reassure the boy somewhat and he grinned.

"Thanks, Niwaka-san."

"No problem. But I think the exam's starting. Hopefully we can talk when we're not trying to kill each other." I walked back to my group feeling much better. I believed I'd just made a friend.

Anko first passed out the consent forms for the exam. Apparently people would begin to die during this part of the exam. Most of the ninjas bristled at that and others smirked with sinister faces. _Fascinating. I wonder what we'll be doing._ I didn't wait long to find out. First Anko explained the geography of the training area, its forest, the river and the tower. And we would be fighting over two little scrolls. Each team gets one, and each team must bring one of each to the tower within five days. Sounded reasonable enough. Chouji and Shikamaru looked dismal at the prospect of little food or rest, but I knew they could make it; they were tougher than they looked. The rules weren't too bad besides that. As long as all three of us survived together we would be fine. For us the top priority would be staying alive, not passing the test. After all, if we didn't pass this time, then we could only try again if we weren't dead. Obvious reasoning there. And we couldn't look in the scrolls. I didn't get why anyone would anyway.

Once she was finished, Anko told us to exchange three consent forms for a scroll at a little hut outside the fence and then the gate entrance to start at. We would all begin at the same time. We filled out the forms in silence and each group received their scroll. Earth Scroll. It took little time to reach our designated gates. The tension built up as we waited for the clock. Seconds crawled by as if they were hours and the gate to the forty-fourth training area loomed over us menacingly. And then we were a minute away, half a minute, ten seconds, five, four, three, two, one...

The three of us burst through the gates and began the second exam. Knowing how minimal our chances would be if we just rushed in, we settled on a plan first. "First off," Shikamaru started; we would leave the strategy to our genius, "don't get separated. If we do, then there's a good chance we'll have more problems than we need."

"If we do by accident, then my Warriors can find us and also tell the difference between the real thing and a fake." I patted my side pocket.

"Right," he said. "Let me see what you've got." I emptied my pockets and he studied the figurines. "Okay, tiger goes south, deer goes east, and the dog goes west. The eagle will hang above and keep an eye from the skies. Niwaka, is there any way you can communicate with them from our present location?"

"I've got subconscious connections," I replied. "I'll be able to hear them and talk to them wherever we are."

"Excellent. We'll follow behind the tiger. Unfortunately we won't be able to tell which scroll a team is carrying, but hopefully we won't need to. Either we'll get lucky and launch an offensive, or we'll be able to counter an attack by knowing they've come because of Niwaka's animals. We're going to try to stay in the sunlight; that way I can use my Shadow Imitation. Got it?"

Chouji and I nodded affirmative, and I called out my Warriors one by one, sending them off in their respective directions. We followed behind Soratsume, perhaps one hundred meters behind her. We hadn't been going long before she told us to stop. -What is it?- I asked after I'd halted Chouji and Shikamaru.

-A group,- she answered. -They don't look too strong. You'd have a good chance of taking them. I estimate they'll come upon you in forty-five seconds.-

I relayed Soratsume's information to the boys and Shikamaru had us hide in the nearby brush. Soratsume had been accurate and the ninjas landed on the ground near our hiding spot, obviously checking the area. We hadn't avoided the sunlight, and their shadows were dangerously close to those made by the trees. Shikamaru held up a thumb and then brought it down as his shadow snaked out. There was enough length and maneuverability for him to capture all three of them at once.

-Got them,- I told Soratsume. –Checking for scrolls now.- Shikamaru held them steady as we searched them all. After looking for a short time, we found it. But it was an Earth Scroll. Not what we were looking for.

We gathered some food just before the sun began to set and settled down of the night. I called out Joucho to watch for us so that we could all get some sleep. Maybe we were extremely lucky, or maybe we just weren't worth fighting, but wither way no one disturbed us during the night. We decided to take a route east the next morning, going on a hunch that Onchou, the deer, had had.

It had been half an hour by the time any of us detected chakra. But even so, there was a lot of it. We guessed at least two groups of people. And most of it was concentrated in an aggressive pattern. We approached more cautiously, and lingered behind. –Onchou. Tell me what's going on.-

-There are seven ninjas in total,- he said. -Three are unconscious, and one is pretty badly beaten. The other three are about to gang up on her.-

-What do they look like?- I asked, inching a bit closer.

-The ones knocked out are boys, two black haired, and one blonde. The girl has pink hair.-

_Sakura! That must be her group. Then who's the other boy?_ I shook my head. "Shikamaru. Team 7 is getting pummeled."

"So?"

I whacked him over the head, hard. "Those are our friends, you idiot! Exam or not, I'm not going to let them get killed. And you shouldn't either. We're comrades, aren't we?"

Shikamaru sighed. "How troublesome. Alright, Chouji. If we don't get in there Niwaka will have an apoplexy. Let's go!"

Our team jumped down from the trees and surveyed the scene, all making whatever calculations we could. Naruto and Sasuke were lying underneath an alcove in a large tree, while Sakura sat on the ground, kunai in hand. One of her eyes was swollen and she was covered in wounds. Lee was crumpled on the ground near the other boys and the opposing ninja were spread around throughout. Sound ninja again. Did they ever get tired of picking on us?

"They're only kids," one of them said sounding bored. "Just like the others. This won't take long."

"Don't you guys get tired of being underestimated?" I inquired as Shikamaru yawned and Chouji quaked. "This is why you two will never do anything important. Ever." They looked at me reproachfully.

"Niwaka, why did you have to drag us out here?" Chouji implored, hands itching to grab a bag of chips. I did feel bad for making him uncomfortable. He wasn't a violent person at all.

"See?" the man said. "Two morons and a fatass."

Unless you said something like that. I shot a look at Shikamaru. Now was our chance. Chouji turned around with such a look of rage in his eyes that the sound ninja flinched. In the blink of an eye, he'd grown and was rolling toward the ninja at his fastest. The ninja jerked his hands out in front of him. Chouji stopped, still rolling but not moving forward. Shikamaru had confronted the bandaged sound ninja, and Sakura was taking care of the woman. Chouji was blown away by the air supposedly escaping the ninja's hands, but came back down through the air. I leapt over the shinobi's head right before Chouji came down and unleashed a scroll, shouting, "Broken Avalanche!" I caught the ninja and he fell underneath the rocks. Chouji came down soon afterward in an explosion of dirt and roots. But I didn't count on the bandaged shinobi getting the better of me.

A metal-clad arm snaked out of nowhere, slamming into the side of my head with unnatural force. My vision blurred for a few seconds, and I tried to find my bearings before moving. I got another punch, this time in the stomach, and a tinny whining started to go off in my head. _Sound ninja. No way would they_ ever _have ninjutsu that had to do with sound_, I thought sarcastically. Dizzy, I couldn't feel my arms or legs. But my mind was more or less intact. Stretching my range as far as it would go, I called out to the Warriors, -I need everyone here right now! It's absolutely urgent!-

-Hai!- they answered and I felt their presences coming closer. I tried to shut the noise out as I fell to the ground, but it just wouldn't go away. I opened my eyes and saw the half bandaged face looking triumphantly menacing, but as soon as we both landed, his face fell in surprise and the sound stopped suddenly. Rubbing my ears, I smirked at Shikamaru who had captured him in his Shadow Imitation. Before he could figure out how to escape, I used the hilt of my kunai to knock him out. Chouji and Sakura weren't doing so well with the female ninja. She'd pretty much incapacitated Sakura and Chouji's Meat Tank was slowing down considerably.

Luckily it was at that moment that all four of the Warriors came through the forest from different directions. "You're late!"

"Get over it," Soratsume growled at me. The four animals dove straight at the shinobi as Shikamaru and I followed close behind. Within a few minutes, we beat her down. But it was partly for naught. The Sound had an Earth Scroll too.

Once we were sure they wouldn't be getting up for quite some time, I ran over to Sakura and Chouji, dragging them to where Naruto, Sasuke, and Lee were lying. I hadn't begun to learn healing yet, so I really had no idea what to do. Shikamaru knelt down beside me and helped to make them more comfortable. I'm sure he would've tried to get out of it had Chouji not been one of the wounded. Naruto looked like he was sleeping, but Sasuke was writhing in agony, chakra pooling around him. It was an abnormal chakra, and it was giving me an uneasy feeling.

Sakura sat up minutes later. "What happened?"

"We saved your sorry carcasses," Shikamaru muttered mutinously. I glared at him.

"How are you feeling?"

She rubbed her head and cringed as she brushed her black eye. "Terrible. How are Sasuke-kun and Naruto? Lee-san?"

"Recovering," I said. "Lee should wake up within the next five minutes. I'm not sure about the other two." I saw her eyes start to fall. "You should try to rest some more. You won't be fit to continue if you're like that." She nodded sleepily and let her head fall back.

I heard a loud yawn from behind me and turned as Lee rubbed his eyes blearily. "Niwaka-san?"

"In person. You stupid boy. You were trying to play the hero, weren't you?" His grimace gave it away. "Not a good idea, Lee-san. What were you doing without your team?"

"Scouting," he answered evasively, shifting his eyes so he didn't have to look at me.

"Oh, smart. So you see Sakura and you just run in."

"Hey," he said a bit angrily. "If I hadn't done anything, she might be dead now!"

"And if we hadn't shown up when we did, you _both_ would be dead," I said forcefully. "I don't mean to sound bossy, but I wouldn't want my friends dying."

He looked up. "We're friends?"

"Well, I hope we can be," I said quietly. "You want to?"

"Of course, Niwaka-san!" He seemed nearly recovered just from that, but I forced him down again.

I sensed chakra somewhere above us and crinkled my nose, trying to pinpoint it. "Come out, whoever you are," I yelled. "If you're going to attack, then just get it over with." Two more ninjas jumped down from the canopy, a girl with two buns and a boy with long hair. His eyes were the same as Hinata's. So this was Hyuuga Neji. Last year's number one rookie, and a genius of Konoha. He looked pompous, and it was bothering me immensely. So this was Lee's team. My day was turning into a party.

"Lee! Get off the ground!" the girl shouted and grabbed him by the collar.

"Tenten, let go of me!" he said shaking around like a rag doll. I grinned and turned my head. Neji looked serious as ever. I admit, he was good looking, and as an eccentric girl I found long hair attractive, but there was something about him that made me want to punch him in the face.

I looked him straight in his pale eyes. Man, I was really stepping out of my comfort zone. It wasn't as if I meant to do it on purpose. There was something in the air. That was it. Keeping that reason in mind, I said, "Take care of Lee." He didn't say anything. The jerk. I left Naruto and Sasuke to Sakura and Lee to Tenten and Neji.

By the time Chouji, Shikamaru and I set out again to go northeast, a day and a half had passed and we still hadn't found a Heaven Scroll. Three and a half days to go.

* * *

**Okay, so some stuff happened... You should know, since you've hopefully gotten this far and not skipped to the end (dunno why you would). Anyway, a little about the Porcelain Warrior again. There are nine in all which are: Eagle,****Tiger,****Mouse,****Japanese Deer,****Raccoon Dog,****Brown Bear,****Crane,****Monkey,****and Snake. I'm on a writing roll, so it's possible I may have another chapter out by the end of the weekend. Sit tight!**

**P.S. I apologize if there's weird spacing in the document.**


	6. Melodrama

**Insomnium Inc. is proud to present: Chapter 6! I've literally been on overdrive this weekend, since I've only got an hour during the week days. Hopefully this'll be enough until next weekend. I'll be pretty busy the next two weeks. I'm on the lighting crew for my school's play (lame, yes) and I'll most likely be there every day until the actual show. I have three days next week where I'm staying until 9:00 PM. HELL. Anyway, this chapter was fun, so enjoy!**

* * *

"Okay, guys." Shikamaru was telling us as we sped through the trees. "We already know there's at least one Heaven Scroll floating around here somewhere. Unless someone decided to get cocky and steal more than one."

"Which would be bad," Chouji added

"Also, chances are that not everyone's finished yet and some people are waiting near the tower. They're like leeches. They wait for a team to get both scrolls and then when they're worn out, they strike. Unfortunately for them, we're pretty much untouched." Chouji 'hmphed'. "Oh please, you'll be fine in an hour and you know it."

"So what's our plan?" I asked. "Are we going to keep looking around or get closer to the tower first?"

"Tower," he answered. "Can you change your animals' positions? We need them to kind of cup the tower from our direction so that we have a spread out radius. But tell them not to get too close. If they notice the presence, then it might be over before we get there. Only the ninjas weak in combat are going to set up traps. They'll rely primarily on genjutsu. Are you ready, Niwaka?"

"As ever." I fingered my pocket zipper. It might be a good time for one of my Words. But I wouldn't know which one to summon until we saw what village they were from.

Tanamoshii, my raccoon dog, sensed two teams fighting at out right, but it was no one we knew so we stood clear. It was Onchou who found a trap-group. He told us they weren't moving at all, and there were explosive tags hidden on the trees all around. Getting as close as he dared, Onchou was able to discern that they were from the Hidden Village of Rain. I would need genjutsu support, so no Yorukashu even though I'd completed him the night after the first exam. No Sekitan either. Fire against water is not a good combo for me. I'm not sure how much good the shadow replication would do, so I settled on Kusari, counting on his twin sword dance.

We stopped just out of range to prepare ourselves. I took out the scroll as Shikamaru explained what we were going to do. "Niwaka and her what's-it will be able to take on two of them at once. That leaves one for us, Chouji. It'll be a basic hold-and-attack strategy. Once we've gotten them out of the way, we'll be able to take on the other two with basically no problem."

I stretched out the scroll and formed a few seals, focusing my chakra into the ink. It came swirling upward, forming as it went. I saw arms come together, then legs, then the rest of a body. The black ink began to fade away and crawl back onto the scroll as color became visible underneath it. He looked a bit bewildered, finding himself in a forest at dusk, but quickly got used to the surroundings. His icy eyes passed over me without second thought, and rested on Shikamaru and Chouji. "Who are they?" he asked bluntly.

"My team," I answered, equally blunt. "I need your help."

"I guessed that." He crossed his arms and drew a pair of katanas from either side of his belt. "Who should I kill?"

Chouji and Shikamaru took a few steps backward at that. Kusari had that effect on people. "Nobody. We're just going to steal from them. Got it?"

He looked vaguely disappointed but sheathed the swords again. "Fine."

After going over our plans one more time, we began our final approach. The sun was halfway set which was both good and bad. It would lengthen Shikamaru's shadow fir a time, but once night came he wouldn't be able to use his technique.

We finally came within range, and I locked my chakra into a genjutsu as soon as I saw movement. I felt Kusari's right next to me and felt confident. I'd fought with him by my side more often than with Soushi or Sekitan and I was used to his moves. Within seconds, we'd entered the technique. We'd each gotten a ninja entangled in the most simple vine tangle. I couldn't sense how Shikamaru and Chouji were doing, but I hoped for the best.

The two ninjas we'd caught were able to escape the vines, as we'd expected since they must have been proficient in genjutsu. They tried their own moves, long tendrils snaking out of the ground to try and catch us, but Kusari and I moved faster than them. We went back and forth for some time, dodging each technique in succession, each more extensive than the last.

As Kusari jumped out of the way of yet another vine, he sighed. "Niwaka-chan, this is _boring_. You called me out here to play jump rope?"

I glared at him. I'd wanted to make them feel like they were winning before whipping out our combo, but I suppose it couldn't be helped. "Since you're so busy, I'll shorten it. DBS on three. One, two, three."

"Double Blossom Spiral!" It felt as if an earthquake were going off within the genjutsu. The ground the other ninjas were standing on cracked open and bits of rock flew everywhere. Two enormous buds swirled from underneath the surface faster than they could follow. Within seconds, the buds burst open in a barrage of pollen and petals, snaking around the shinobis' bodies and tightening. I could see them grit their teeth with every loop the vines made. The pollen was spreading fast too, turning the air a sickly yellow. Their eyes drooped and their bodies relaxed. They would be out of it for quite some time.

"Come on," I said to Kusari and we slipped out of the genjutsu. The two we'd fought were lying on the ground, eyes open wide and unblinking. Chouji was eating chips while sitting on top of a third ninja. Shikamaru gave me a genuine smile as he held up the Heaven Scroll. We'd gotten both. And we were only another half hour away from the tower. As long as we didn't run into anymore trouble, we would pass the exam.

The trip was more or less uneventful. We made it easily, and we still had around three days until the end. We entered through the door closest and were met by an inscription on the wall. Judging from the words, it wanted us to open up the scroll. Shikamaru took them out of his pack, looking suspicious. "What if it's still part of the test?" he asked. "We weren't supposed to open them."

"Our mission was to bring them to the tower," I reminded him. "No more than that. Open them." Shikamaru shrugged and gave one to Chouji. The two of them pulled on the ends of the paper and drew them out. The parchment bulged strangely and began to emit smoke. Seeing the summoning inscription, Shikamaru and Chouji tossed them to the ground.

As the smoke cleared, a figure appeared. As soon as we saw the glow of a cigarette we knew who it was.

"Asuma-sensei!" Chouji exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Congratulating you on passing the second exam," he told us jamming his hands in his pockets. "Good work, guys."

"Is that it?" Shikamaru asked. "Good work? We're miles beyond good work. I'd say along the lines of fantastic." He crossed his arms and turned away. "How troublesome."

"Hey now don't hate me," Asuma said. "Alright, I'm supposed to explain this to you before you leave, so listen up." He gave us a very less-than-heartfelt speech about seeking knowledge and power (he wasn't all that serious about it) and then disappeared in a puff of smoke as if he'd never come.

"He didn't even give us any instructions," I muttered, kind of annoyed. "So we're just supposed to sit here doing nothing for the next three days?"

"Seems like," Shikamaru said, yawning. "I'll be asleep. Wake me up when it's been three days." I stared at him incredulously.

"Chouji, watch him. Make sure he doesn't accidentally stop breathing. It would be bad if he died in such a stupid way. I'm going to explore."

I left them right where they were without a second glance. They wouldn't need me until the end of the exam. And if they did then they could get over it. I hopped up to the next level and left the room. I wound up in a long, long hallway with several doors. They were smaller than the one I'd come through, but there were similar passages at intervals in between. It was dreadfully bare around, and I skipped along the doors, opening a few and then closing them. Nothing special, nothing important. Just empty rooms. I tried another, and was lucky enough to find three people I knew.

"Hinata!" I said coming face to face with the Hyuuga. I smiled with a laugh. "So you guys made it!"

"Niwaka-san!" She blinked a few times then blushed happily. "Yeah! Kiba-kun, Shino-kun, Niwaka-san is here." Shino came forward with Kiba following close behind. Kiba was looking down concernedly at a shivering Akamaru who was hiding inside his jacket.

"Kiba, what happened to Akamaru?" I patted the puppy's head with a slight frown. He didn't even move, just continued to shake.

"Nothing serious," Kiba said, though he sounded serious enough. "He's been like this for hours. It was after seeing that."

"What?"

"We ran into the sand shinobi on the way to the tower," Shino explained. "They were fighting another group. And that kid, Gaara killed them all." _Gaara? Joucho was right then. Of course she was right, she's never wrong._"Without so much as moving. He wasn't hurt at all. And he killed them in the blink of an eye."

I took a deep breath. Okay, so maybe trying to talk to Gaara wasn't the best idea I'd ever had. Very possibly quite the opposite. "Good to know," I said sucking in my cheek. "You guys aren't hurt though, are you?"

"No," Kiba said quickly. "But the Sand just passed us a little while ago. It's not pleasant knowing that _he's_ in the same building."

"I imagine not," I answered absentmindedly. A thought had just occurred to me. "Hinata, you didn't happen to run into Neji too, did you?" She was visibly disturbed. It was so easy to predict Hinata's emotions. I didn't need Joucho to tell me she was troubled. She looked as if she wanted to run away and never come back. "Shino, Kiba, could you excuse Hinata for a while? I want to talk to her about something." Shino shrugged and walked back over to where he'd been sitting. Kiba looked suspicious, but waved us away, clearly indignant at being left out. "Come on, there are plenty of free rooms," I said and lead her out. We stayed close, only entering the room next door. I sat down on the ground near the wall and patted the space next to me. She drew her knees to her chest, holding them tightly. "You know Neji, don't you, Hinata-chan?"

She made as if to shake her head 'no', then her eyes fell to the floor. "Hai." She paused, and fiddled with her fingers anxiously. "He's my cousin."

I'd been thinking something along those lines. I patted her shoulder. "Any particular reason why you flinch when someone says his name." It looked as if he flinched whenever someone even mentioned him.

After some cajoling, Hinata began to tell me the story of the head and branch families, of the way the separation was supposed to protect the Byakugan's secret. After some insistence from me, she continued on with the creation of the Cursed Seal and how Neji had received it when Hinata turned three. Neji himself, I learned, was four at the time. She recounted long-ago memories of the short times when they were together as children. They'd been quite close. I found out about Hinata's attempted kidnapping, and her uncle's sacrifice.

"So Neji is bitter," I concluded. Hinata nodded, wringing her hands. "But you and he are on good terms, aren't you? I mean, you said you grew up together."

"I haven't seen him since his father died," she muttered. "And I think... I think..."

"That he blames you since you're the head family heir." I leaned my head back against the walls. "The drama just gets worse every time. First there's Naruto and his Way of the Ninja, then there's Sasuke and his issues. Sakura and Ino are constantly fighting, and there's an entire network of who likes who. And now the Hyuugas are having civil war. Honestly Hinata, I don't know how you manage to live here." She didn't seem reassured by my jokes. I let out a deep sigh. "Listen, Hinata. I _did _run into Neji during the exam." She looked up in surprise. "To be completely honest, I don't think he's worth worrying over. From all that I know about you, it's impossible for any good person to hate you. You're kind, determined, you're stronger." I grinned. "And let's face it, you're extremely pretty." Hinata's face turned a violent shade of red.

"You flatter me, Niwaka-chan. You're stronger than I am."

"Lies," I said simply. "People call you a dropout only because they themselves never had to work as hard as you. The people who were born geniuses like Sasuke and Neji... They don't know what it's like to have to struggle to be the best. To have the ability to never give up ever all of the crap you take from your father and everyone else is something I'll never have. If I were you, I'd have run away a long time ago. Now, I'm not sure how long Kiba's been trying to listen in, but don't worry. My genjutsu is making him think we're talking about ducks, so it's all fine."

I left the room first, passing Kiba who gave me some pretty weird looks, then ventured back to the room where I'd left my team. Chouji and Shikamaru were both asleep forcing me to remember that it was at least two o'clock in the morning. Refusing to believe that I was giving into peer pressure, I lay down on the floor and closed my eyes.

* * *

The next day, I forced Shikamaru and Chouji to actually move and team up with Team Eight to do some light training. We took long breaks, not training long enough to tire ourselves out. We still didn't know what would happen once the rest of the exam was finished.

The day after that was spent training amongst ourselves the way Asuma had taught us to. The room was big enough so that each of us had an area to ourselves. Chouji and Shikamaru continued practice on their new moves. I called out Yorukashu for the first time. First summoning always left me drained afterward, but a night's sleep was all that I needed to recover. I learned some interesting things about him.

The strange part of the Written Word and Porcelain Warriors was that they had very distinct personalities, though they weren't completely real. The Porcelain Warriors were a bit different though, since they were a collection. Each individual family within my clan has a set of nine Warriors which are passed down through generations. Not every set is unique since some of the animals are repeated, but they specialize in different areas. When the Nyuushin clan was formed, each collection was created by a different family's leader. The figurines are very old and experienced and they're more of advisors than they are fighters.

Written Words are completely personalized by the ninja with the ability. There are no identical Words in the entire world. Each of them is supposed to have techniques that correspond with their ninjas and have to be created by the ninja in advance as I did with Yorukashu. The Warriors were given attributes from the start since they already have residual chakra stored inside of them. The ninjas from Word are mostly unpredictable in nature. Unless the user specifies how their Word looks and acts then the result will be completely spontaneous. I hardly ever take that much liberty. I more look forward to the surprise.

Whereas Kusari is brusque, impatient, and perpetually apathetic (unless you make him angry and it gets _real _bad when he's angry), Yorukashu was cheerfully calm and seemed helpful, more so than Kusari who generally gets annoyed when I ask him to do anything. Unless it's attacking someone. He kind of enjoys attacking people.

On the final day, we lay in wait for someone to tell us what would happen now that the exam was over. At the exact same time that the second exam had started five days ago, a chuunin came to fetch us from the room. She led us down the long hallway to the double doors at the end.

The other winning teams were also being lead in. I noticed Lee, Neji, and Tenten along with Naruto's team and the Sand shinobi. Even the sound ninja we'd beaten had passed the exam. I wondered how they'd managed that.

They had us line up in rows in front of a large statue of two hands forming a seal. Several chuunins and jounins were standing around the dais. The Hokage was standing at the center with Anko. I counted the other genins who'd passed. There were twenty-one people. Seven teams. "Congratulations on passing the second exam!" Anko shouted out into the hall. It seemed like everyone let out a sigh. "Hokage-sama will now explain the third exam."

The Hokage then decided to tell us the real reason for having the Chuunin Exam. I'd already known about it since Gaman had made it perfectly clear while we were on the way to Konoha what the Exam would be like. Gaman had told me he didn't want me to get too surprised, but I think he might have had his own reasons. The Hokage explained the constant war between the Allied Nations and all of the military, political, and economic reasons. I hated how he made it sound like an honor to be accepted in the exam. Carrying your country's dignity... Yet another person I would like to punch in the face. There was nothing honorable about being used as a pawn of your village. The ninjas of a village are what keep it alive and make it prosper, no matter whether they're the best or not. I thought it was the most idiotic thing in the world that the Hokage would throw away lives like that, even if it is the ninja's fate to die.

The new examiner came forward to explain the third part of the test. I was thankful to hear the old Hokage stop talking, but then my thoughts turned to concern when I heard about the third exam. A preliminary before the actual matches? Bullshit. Decrease the number since the tests were too easy? Also bullshit. But I didn't exactly have a say in how things went, so I kept my mouth shut.

The examiner whose name we learned was Gekkou Hayate made a point to tell us we had the option of quitting. Only one person did. It was the Kabuto guy from before the exam. _Down to twenty._ I caught sight of an argument within the seventh group. Sakura seemed to be upset about Sasuke. He was clasping his shoulder seemingly in some sort of pain. Sasuke and his issues... I had been joking before, but it looked like I was still pretty accurate.

Hayate began his explanation of the preliminary matches, which was pretty much straightforward. There would be ten one-on-one matches and the winners would advance to the final exam. A portion of the wall paneling then opened up and a screen was revealed. The matches would be randomly chosen from the names of the genins, and the two would fight.

Without any further ado, the first match was displayed on the board: Yoroi vs. Sasuke. I looked over at the tall man, dressed in black and eyes covered in dark lenses. Not a nice looking guy. To

To be honest, I didn't really have much interest in the battle, though everyone else seemed to be in rapture. It seemed that Sasuke would forever be the center of attention.

The rest of us were told to move to the balconies on either side of the room, and we obeyed, all the Konoha ninja moving to one side while the Sand and Sound ninjas took the other with their team leaders. They all settled down to watch, anticipating excitement. I really didn't care either way. Of course, I hoped Sasuke wouldn't die since he was still a comrade of mine. But I did hope he would be knocked down a couple of pegs. He could use it, the haughty kid. Everyone leaned on the rails, waiting for the match to begin, but I sat back from the edge and took a blank scroll out of my endless supply. Nothing like drawing to pass the time.

"Aren't you going to watch?" Shikamaru asked.

"No," I answered, not looking up. "Tell me if something very terrible happens, alright? In any case, it's not like any of us could do anything about it if something _did_ happen." I dipped my brush into my ink, picturing something to draw. A flower perhaps?

"Suit yourself." Shikamaru and Chouji went to stand by Asuma as the match began. It was pretty fast as I assumed from the shouting and noises going on. The way I was hearing it, Sasuke had been losing in the beginning, but came out victorious. I saw Sasuke leave with his jounin teacher, Kakashi, after the match. _Issues._

The next battle was Shino's, against one of the Sound ninja named Zaku. I glanced up every once and a while during his battle. Not that I needed to. Shino had had everything under control from the very beginning. He completely destroyed Zaku, leaving him unable to use his arms again.

Kankuro, Gaara's brother, was up next fighting the other member of Kabuto's group besides Yoroi, Tsurugi. By the time that match was over, I'd drawn an entire field of flowers in the scroll. I started on a pair of white, fluffy clouds floating in the sky. Maybe I'd give it the drawing to Shikamaru. He did love his clouds.

"Niwaka," I heard Chouji say above me.

"Is someone dying?" I asked, focusing on the contour of my cloud.

"No..."

"Then I'm not interested."

"Niwaka, you idiot," Shikamaru said, grabbing my hair and yanking it back.

"Ow, you heartless, inconsiderate... What'd you do that—" My angry expression died as I caught sight of the new pairing on the screen. Haruno Sakura vs. Nyuushin Niwaka. I rolled up my scroll slowly and dropped it into my pocket with my ink and brush. The drawing would have to wait. _This will be interesting._

* * *

**CLIFFHANGER.** **Alright, well we've gotten through the second exam, and have moved onto the Preliminaries (fun). I'm sure you all know how the battles go and the Neji story which is why I didn't waste words by putting them in depth. In other news... Kusari's kind of a bitch, but don't worry, we like him. Mas y mas amounts of action in the next chapter, I promise.**

**P.S. I'm going to change the character thingy for the story to Neji and Hinata, just because we had a very heartfelt and emotional talk, and their battle will probably be important. Look for that next chapter.**


	7. Fury and Indifference

**HAH! Out before the weekend! I am Insomnium, god of speed. Anyway, I am sorry. Very, very sorry. See, I managed to go into the Neji vs. Hinata battle a little too much. FORGIVE ME. It's like a written version of the episodes from Niwaka's point of view. In order to make up for my overzealousness, I pretty much made this chapter incredibly long. I wrote over an extra thousand words I think... So please try to accept my apology, although my crimes must be heinous indeed.**

**13Noir - Well, technically I think everyone is 12 at this point in the series, but I don't believe them. So, taking liberty as le author, I have changed them all to the age of 13. Not a huge upset, I hope. Anyway, taking this into consideration, Niwaka is in fact the same age.**

* * *

I cracked my knuckles, walking down the steps. Everyone was looking at me. That was why I didn't like to watch people; I hated being watched myself. I may sound like I have everything under control most of the time. Sometimes I even act like I have complete control. But I'm only thirteen, and like any other normal teenager, I have unreasonable fears. Stage-fright just happens to be one of them.

Sakura was already down on the battle floor, looking impatient. I was going as slowly as I could, thinking of a strategy. What did I know about Sakura? She didn't have too many ninjutsu, but I did remember that her chakra control was superb. I wasn't sure how good her taijutsu was, but I would assume it was at least equal to mine.

I glanced at all the faces in the balcony, trying to calm down, knowing that most would be supporting me or not caring either way. Naruto and Lee looked conflicted; they were obviously having internal battles over whether to root for me or Sakura. Shikamaru and Chouji, a bit nervous, gripped the railing with Asuma close behind. Hinata smiled encouragingly, and I immediately felt better. Gaara's eyes were on my as well, probably ready to gauge my skills.

Alright. I was ready now. Hayate coughed and raised his hand. "Start!"

"Sakura!" I called over. "Good luck."

"You too," she said, and we both took stances, watching each other carefully. I would wait for her to move first. I could stay poised for hours if necessary, but I knew that Sakura wouldn't. She would attack first, but carefully. She was the type to gather information and then use my weaknesses against me. I couldn't use genjutsu. Sakura would know and dispel it immediately. Another strength of hers. I would have to win with ninjutsu.

As I expected, she delivered the first attack, running at me with her kunai. Only a test from her. She was more careful than that. I whipped out my own kunai and blocked hers, pushing her to the side. What would she try next? Apparently Sakura had some tricks up her sleeve. She had replicated herself and three of her were running at me, switching around before my eyes. I had no idea which was the real one.

Thinking as fast as humanly possible, I whipped out Kumoboufuu, forcing chakra through the porcelain fast, and jumped into the air. Ten feet above the ground, I felt the eagle begin to flap his wings, buffeting my hair with wind. "Niwaka-sama, you're too heavy!" the Warrior puffed.

"Sorry. I'll only be a second." I saw Sakura pull out another couple of kunais and toss them at me, more precisely than I would've liked. I took Kumoboufuu's chakra again, letting myself drop down again and rolling to break my fall. As I pushed myself off the ground, I grabbed Soushi's scroll from my pocket, and held it in my mouth while I formed the seals. Sakura was coming at me again and I could feel the chakra she was gathering. I'd better end this fast before she actually did hit me.

Soushi appeared in front of me, long silver hair flowing over her shoulders. She glanced behind at me, utterly confused. "Niwaka-sama, where are we?"

"Later, heads up by the way." Soushi swirled back around just in time to see Sakura's charge. She and I jumped out of the way in either direction and the girl's foot hit the ground, cracking the floor. "Soushi, you know what to do."

She closed her eyes, and put her hands together in an all too familiar seal. "Mass Shadow Replication." In a second the entire floor was filled with solid copies of Soushi. Sakura seemed overwhelmed. Through all the time she'd spent with Naruto, I don't think she'd ever actually had to go up against his Shadow Replication. Soushi was fast as well, which was a definite disadvantage for Sakura. She couldn't keep up with the Word's fast hits as they swarmed over her, and began their assault. I extracted another scroll as soon as I saw Soushi's first hit. She'd gotten Sakura right in the stomach. Unrolling it, I made my final leapt, directly over Sakura and Soushi's replications. I made the seals and shouted, "Chilling Waterfall!"

Magnitudes of white water cascaded from the scroll, hitting the floor with intense force. Soushi's replications all disappeared as the waves fell onto them and Sakura was knocked to the floor, carried by the waterfall's course. The ninjutsu seemed as if it would never end, but I closed the scroll deftly once the room had been inundated. The water went along with it, leaving the floor soaked, but otherwise empty. Hayate had jumped onto the statue of the hands on the platform to avoid the water, but jumped down again.

Landing back on the ground, I saw Sakura lying against the other wall. Her clothes were water-logged and she wasn't moving. She looked as if she'd hit the floor and the walls several times while inside the Chilling Waterfall. Hayate walked over slowly to check her condition. He coughed again before saying, "Sakura is unable to fight. Niwaka wins the match. Shikamaru and Chouji cheered and I smiled, feeling accomplished. I hadn't expected it to go so quickly.

The medics came to take Sakura and I sat by as they loaded her onto a stretcher. "She's going to be fine, right?" I asked, just a bit worried. I hadn't meant for the Waterfall to be that strong. I must have panicked.

"Of course," the first medic replied, carefully laying her down. "She's just unconscious and a little battered up. Some treatment and sleep, and she'll be fine."

I grinned, relieved. "Thanks." The next match was announced soon after that: Temari of the Sand vs. Tenten of Konoha. Satisfied that my match was over, I picked up my drawing again. What had I been drawing? Clouds? Sounded right to me. I continued, not even sparing a look for the match going on between the two kunoichi. Suffice to say, I knew that Temari, had won hands down.

The next match happened to be of much more interest. It was Shikamaru's and he was going up against the Sound woman named Kin. If we knew anything, then we knew the Sound ninjas were dangerous. Shikamaru gave his characteristic heavy sigh. "How troublesome," he commented beginning to walk to the end.

I nudged his ankle with my foot as he passed and gave him a meaningful look. "Don't get killed," I ordered. "If you do, don't expect me to say anything sweet at your funeral."

"The thought never crossed my mind." He continued on and waved behind him. "I'll be right back." I actually made sure to see how his match was going. At first, Shikamaru seemed fine, but then Kin revealed her genjutsu bell trick. I began to get concerned as soon as the second pair of needles left her hand. I knew she was doing something. When I realized Shikamaru had been caught in the genjutsu, I even got scared. She really did intend to kill him. I should have known better though, because that was when Kin stopped moving. I caught sight of Shikamaru's shadow attached to hers and smirked. Of course. He _was_ a strategic genius. And the way he forced her to hit her head on the wall. I had to admit, that guy was good.

Kiba and Naruto were paired next, but I didn't pay too much attention to their battle. I knew that neither would kill the other, so I ignored it. This fight was pretty long, too. Maybe I'd spoken too soon when I said they wouldn't kill each other. In the end, after strenuous attacking and use of chakra, Naruto came out victorious.

In the moments before the next match, I saw Hinata give Naruto a little cup full of medicine. She walked down to Kiba's stretcher and gave him one too. She was so compassionate. Sometimes I was a bit jealous of her. I'm only nice to the people I don't know, and I can be mean to the people I like and hate. Much controversy.

As soon as the next match was revealed on the board, I froze. Hinata vs. Neji. _Of all the bad luck in the world, she gets matched up with him_. She was staring at the matchup in horror, and Kiba on his stretcher clenched is fist. I hurriedly dropped my brush and jumped down to where she was standing. "Hinata, are you okay?" She didn't respond, though I saw her fingers shaking. I took her sleeve gently and tried to get her to stop shaking. "Listen. I'm not going to tell you that you should just forfeit. But I do want you to be careful. Don't let him get through you, okay?"

"O-okay."

I gave her a small hug before sending her out onto the floor. "Do your best." I went straight back up to the stands, but this time on the other side so that I'd have a good view of the match. I ignored the remaining Sound ninja, the one with the bandages, and also Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari. I didn't care if they were sending death glares at my back. I wanted to be right behind Hinata in the strictest sense of the word.

And so it began. The two Hyuugas stood across from each other, Hinata looking sad, Neji austere. I watched carefully and made sure to catch everything that they said. With every word that came out of his mouth I became angrier. I was surprised that he called her 'Hinata-sama', and it seemed to me that somewhere _very_ deep within his cold attitude Neji didn't want to fight Hinata. I would have gladly fought him in her place though.

First, he told her that she was not fit to be a shinobi because she was too kind, and too weak. I knew I was right when I'd wanted to punch him. He _stated_ that Hinata had only taken the exam because it needed three people. I gripped the railing so tightly my hands hurt. Hinata would have probably done that, but I knew she'd had reasons. And sure enough, although I could barely hear it, she said, "I wanted to change myself." I'm sure only Kurenai, her jounin teacher, and I knew what those words meant to her.

And then, of all things he told her she was spoiled. _People can never change._ I was resisting the urge to jump down and start the battle myself, but I held back. I could see Naruto shaking in anger on the other side of the room. Of course he would understand. He was the most famous Kyuubi-containing, Shadow Replicating, utterly talented dropout. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to kill Neji before me. It was like he was writing an essay. He stated his thesis, and supported it with his completely false evidence. And then, of course he brought up his final point. Hinata couldn't change herself just like Neji couldn't change his being a branch family member.

It was a mental attack like none I'd ever seen. Neji knew Hinata's mind so thoroughly. She was shaking, eyes wide and frightened. This could not turn out well. He activated his Byakugan and a few silent seconds passed. Everyone was tense, watching to see what would happen. Reading her eye movements, now that was low. Why didn't he just fight her already instead of trying to traumatize her for the rest of her life?

I was so relieved when Naruto interrupted Neji's useless predictions. "Hinata, beat him up!" Hinata's entire posture changed at once. She stopped shaking; she stood up straight; she lifted her head to face Neji, and it was unmistakable that she'd found her strength.

Stance assumed, she said, "Neji-nii-san, let us fight." They paused, ready to start at any moment. Suddenly, they both ran at each other and the battle ensued. They looked blurred, moving too fast to comprehend. Hinata was able to catch a shallow hit along his abdomen and I allowed my worry to subside for a little bit. Hinata wouldn't give up easily. The battle continued, and she was gaining the upper hand slowly but surely. Naruto's shouts could be heard every so often egging her on from the balcony.

All at once the two stopped, jammed close together. It wasn't clear what had happened and I leaned over the railing as much as I dared, trying to get a better look. Hinata's attack had hit, but she'd been the one damaged. Crimson blood trickled from her mouth. I winced and although I wanted to, I didn't close my eyes. She knocked his hand away and tried again, but he drove his fingers into her arm. And as if just to be cruel, he delivered blow just beneath her chin, driving her off the ground to fall on the opposite side. I didn't know whether I wanted her to stay down and let the match end or get back up and kick his ass. As soon as his little 'destiny' monologue began again, my decision was made.

The blood dripping from her mouth hit the stone floor. Something about the scene was just too grotesque. Cousins weren't meant to fight. I barely recognized the words when he told her to give up. I was too focused on what Hinata would do.

"I'm... not going to take back my words," she said, slowly rising up from the ground. "That's my way of the ninja." _Naruto's words. She wants to be like him._ It was sweet in a twisted sort of way. Neji was visibly perturbed by Hinata's stubbornness. For a moment, I saw a strange look of surprise, pity, and... Was it remorse? It was hard to tell from this far away. But whatever it was, for once his complete confidence had been shaken. _Hinata, you are amazing._ They made to fight again, though Hinata's attacks had become more frequent, blood hitting the floor every time.

They exchanged blows once again. Hinata was still able to move after Neji's first assault? She never ceased to impress me. Once again, Neji hit her arm and then caught her in the chin. But she just kept up her attempts. It was all the more heartbreaking when she finally fell for the last time. Neji didn't even look tired, or anything of the sort. His face was more disgusted than triumphant: as if the fight had merely been a bother.

Naruto yelled not to stop the match, but I had to hit my head on the railing. Hinata was rising, but if she pushed any more then she would be dead before tomorrow. But even so, I felt intense pride as she lifted her shaking body, holding her side and breathing heavily. No one should have been able to stand after that. Neji seemed to agree with my first thought, and said as much. Maybe he didn't want her to die.

But then he got angry. "You've carried the destiny known as the Hyuuga family. You've cursed your weakness and blamed yourself. But I said before: people cannot change. Let yourself go."

Hinata shook her head. "You're wrong, Neji-nii-san." His powerful eyes widened. "Because I can see you've been suffering more than I have. You're the one who's been confused. You're the one truly injured by the fates of the head and branch families."

The next few seconds seemed to slow down. I saw the cold fury in Neji's eyes and the livid quaking I his hands. He was going to kill her. Before he even moved, before any of the others realized what was going on, I let all restraint go and dove down into the midst of the Hyuugas. Hayate, Gai, Kakashi, and Kurenai had all begun to come out, but I was closest.

Neji stopped in his tracks, completely caught off guard when I landed in between Hinata and him. He looked stumped for a few seconds, as if I of all people should not have stopped him.

"You're not a dropout," he said slowly. "So why do you protect someone like her?"

"Hinata is not a dropout either," I declared, iron in my voice. "And she is my closest friend. If you _ever_ attempt to hurt her after this, I'll make sure you don't see the sun again."

He smirked. "You're bluffing."

"Maybe I am," I said thoughtfully. "But I can assure you that if anything happens to her, I will make your life a living hell at all of my expenses. Hinata's got her way of the ninja. And I've got mine."

"Niwaka-chan, you didn't need—"

"Hinata, I _did._" I kept my attention focused on Neji. "He would've murdered you here and now." I addressed him again. "What crime did Hinata commit, Hyuuga Neji? Was it her being kind or was it her being a head family member. I don't believe either of those are _her_ fault. And it's not _her_ fault that you've got that cursed seal on your forehead." I heard mutters around the room, and Neji himself almost gasped, but held back for the sake of his dignity I'm guessing. "Yeah, I know about it. And just because Hinata's father is an old bastard doesn't mean she's not a good person. If you were a true genius you would have known that."

I turned back around just as Hinata fell to the floor. Kurenai and the medics rushed forward to take care of her injuries. As soon as they started carrying her out on the stretcher, I began to follow, sending back a look full of daggers as I exited the room.

I was forced wait outside as they operated on Hinata. It seemed like hours before one of the medics came out. "How is she?"

"She'll be fine," he replied. "But she won't be able to fight or even train for quite some time." I sighed in relief.

"That's good news in any case," I replied. "As long as there's no lasting damage." May I see her?"

"Yes, but she hasn't woken up yet. Try not to disturb her." He let me into the operating room where the kunoichi lay on the crisp white sheets of a hospital bed, and IV inserted into her arm. She looked broken, like some kind of toy that had been played with too much. I took her hand silently. At least she would be okay. I hoped she would never have to do that again, but I knew that next time the Chuunin Exam rolled around, she would insist on trying again.

In a few minutes, Asuma came into the operating room, cigarette respectfully absent. "Niwaka. They need you to come back."

I closed my eyes for a second. "Fine." I let him lead me back down the halls to the battling room. "Are the matches over?"

"Hai. They ended just now."

"What happened to Chouji? And Lee-san?" I was suddenly very scared. The only people left besides them had been Gaara and the other Sound ninja.

"Chouji will be fine. The Sound guy beat him, but I at least got him to try with barbeque."

I smiled. Chouji. Then I frowned again. "But wait, that means Lee was up against Gaara. What happened?" I demanded.

Asuma looked at the ground, and I held my breath, dreading the answer. "It was close at first," he said quietly. "An impressive match. Both are very skilled. But Gaara came out the winner."

"But Lee, he didn't... You know, he's not... Is he?"

"He's alive," Asuma assured me. "But, he's been permanently crippled. He can no longer be a ninja." If my heart had broken for Hinata, it was breaking twice over for Lee. He was such a sweet kid. And to think that one battle could cost him his entire dream. He wasn't dead, but he'd lost his life in a different sense. Now he wouldn't be able to impress Sakura. I would make sure to see him soon.

Back inside the room, the ten (minus Sasuke) winners of the matches had assembled in a line in front of Hayate: the Sound ninja, Gaara, Kankuro, Temari, Naruto, Shikamaru, Neji, Shino, and me. We were informed that the main matches would take place in one month, after the proper preparations had been made. Before the Hokage allowed us to leave, he made us draw pieces of paper from a box that Anko passed around. I looked at my number curiously. _Eight._ We were told to say it in order and Ibiki, the first examiner jotted something down on a clipboard. That's when they announced our matchups for the main fights. I squinted my eyes shut crossing my fingers. _Please be Neji so I can kick his ass, please, please, please._ I scanned the sheet as Ibiki held it up. Neji against Naruto. _Damn. _Shino against Dosu, the Sound shinobi. _Interesting. _Shikamaru against Temari. I felt for him. Temari was _not_ a nice person. Sasuke against Kankuro. _I'm always last, why am I always—_And then I realized the last matchup and stared at the paper. Niwaka against Gaara. That was unexpected. I had a month in which to train before I faced him. I would use it well.

We were released right after that and guided back through the forty-fourth training area's forest to civilization. I'd never been so glad to see houses before in my life. My first order of business was to get some solid food to eat, but that plan was quickly discouraged because Kankuro approached me with a sneaky grin. What could he possibly gain from talking to me? "Is there something you need?" I asked pleasantly, hiding my impatience.

"Yeah," he said, coming over. "You know the Uchiha kid, don't you?"

"As well as I plan on knowing him. Let me guess, you want information for your match. You sure don't waste any time."

"I pride myself on that. What can you tell me, girl?" He crossed his arms, looking as though he wouldn't leave. "Or would you rather I ask questions about you?" Kankuro smirked.

"Actually, I would _love_ to tell you about Sasuke. Let me see, he's the most popular guy in our class, and the most handsome of course." Yeah, I could play the shallow girl. It was hard, but convincing. "And he's got the most amazing eyes—"

"Don't try to trick me," Kankuro said in a bored voice. "I could force it out of you."

"No need." I sighed, matching his boredom. "He's got that annoying Sharingan, and the fire jutsu. He also has some kind of giant blade thing he throws around. He's not really all that impressive, but something happened during the Chuunin Exam I'm told... He's gotten more powerful. And he lives to get revenge on his brother. I could also tell you about his sleeping habits, what he eats, or his bathing schedule, but I have a feeling I'd be going overboard with that." I raised my eyebrows at him. "So may I go now?"

"Not just yet," he replied, seemingly amused. "You're even more interesting than that rude little blonde boy. How does it make you feel that you will fight Gaara?"

"Surprisingly calm," I answered truthfully. "Though I confess I'm not exactly sure how I should train. What do you suggest?"

"You shouldn't even bother. No one can beat Gaara. The only reason that kid with the bobbed hair is even still breathing is because his teacher stepped in."

_So that's it._ "So I'm going to die then?"

"Yes."

The confidence with which Kankuro said it was almost enough to make me feel scared, but he seemed shock that my face didn't change from its ponderous position. I knew I was supposed to be terrified, possibly defiant with a little bit of bitterness. Not a happy combination, but Kankuro didn't know me and besides being lucky, that made him ignorant. "Well, that's a shame."

"You don't care that you'll be killed?" he asked dubiously. "That Naruto kid wants to be Hokage, and he knows he can't do that if he dies. Don't you have a goal you want to carry out? A reason for living?"

"No." He seemed taken aback. "I have never fought for my own goal. Only that of someone else." Kankuro's expression actually turned to surprise. "From the minute I was born I was trained hard and became a ninja as soon as it was convenient for the clan, because that's what they wished, and what my parents wished. Their dream was for me to be powerful, and it still is. I wasn't allowed to choose my own dream and because of my silly training, I never will. I continue to live solely for others and never for myself. So unless someone else's fate is in the line, why should I care what happens to me?" I finished not even knowing half of what I said. Frowning, I creased my forehead and looked at my hands as if the answer had been smeared across my palms. Without another word, I left Kankuro standing there trying to puzzle out the evidence I'd left him.

* * *

I spent the next few days on my own while Chouji and Shikamaru trained with Asuma. I walked over to the library in the mornings, reading about techniques that would be good for me to learn. What I needed was a purely offensive jutsu, not a defense since my Warriors and Words could cover that well. Broken Avalanche and Chilling Waterfall left the effectiveness of the attack up to chance, but would make good finishing moves once I'd immobilized my enemy. Not that I could do that with Gaara. I would need to find out more about his monstrous strength.

No, I needed something precisely accurate and powerful. The chances of finding something like that were slim though. I dove into the books every morning, searching hungrily for any trace of a technique. Some mornings I'd find Sakura there as well and the two of us would read in silence. One morning I finally got the nerve to ask her what had happened during the match between Gaara and Lee. She told me all the details she could and I listened carefully to the techniques that the boy used and the strength in them. My conclusion: I had no chance whatsoever of winning. If Lee had lost after being able to open the Fifth Gate? I was going to be lacerated, pure and simple.

So the sand shielded him at every attempt to harm him and could move it however he wished. His body was coated in a layer of sand that constantly protected him, and he could kill just as easily if the sand caught his prey. I would need to work on my speed and chakra control for sure. But I had been right about a powerful ninjutsu. I needed one. And within the next month.

* * *

**DONE! My reasoning for changing the matches: well, I had to anyway since there were only nine finalists in the actual exam. I get kind of annoyed at Sasuke sometimes just because everyone always goes, "OMG SASUKE YOU'RE SO STROOOOOOOOONG." (I apologize if you are of the Sasuke fangirl club/faith.) In all honesty, I wanted Niwaka to pair up with Gaara though. She'll be a good influence on him if she doesn't get beaten to a bloody pulp within the first five seconds. Smiles everyone!**


	8. Slim to None

**Hey guys, I'm so sorry for the huge gap. It's been tough what with school and swimming and everything. I actually have finals this week so just think of that when you see how bad this chapter is. I felt bad about letting the new technique dangle, so here it is. Also, thanks for putting up with me and I'll try to get a lot out this summer (despite my summer school and countless other burdens). Also, I wanted to apologize for the typos and various mistakes in other chapters. Chances are there are some here, even in this little segment. I'M SORRY. Anyway, here it is.**

* * *

In any normal circumstance, I'd have gone to Asuma for the appropriate training and techniques, but to be perfectly honest, I didn't trust his judgment. Yes, I sound foolish. He's a jounin, I'm a genin; he's experienced, I'm not; he is my teacher, I'm his student. I took all of those things into consideration, but I'm not even sure how well he knew me, in terms of my habits as a ninja. I wanted to be on a fairly substantial ground when I decided my training regime. So I would have to rely on the people who knew me best.

"What do you want this time?" Kusari grumbled as his scroll rolled back up and disappeared into my pocket. I'd also brought out Soratsume, the ever wisest and oldest of the Warriors along with Soushi, Sekitan, and Yorukashu.

"Unfortunately it's not nearly as exciting as cutting up people with swords," I replied, "but it involves the use of brute force and you know a lot of stuff about that, if I recall correctly."

"Curious. You have piqued my interest."

"Of course she has, she mentioned the word 'force'," Soushi muttered under her breath.

"Hey guys, play nice." I glared at the four Words. I explained the situation to my companions, careful to tell them what I'd heard of Gaara's strengths and weaknesses, and what possible strategy I could use to counter them. Soratsume listened carefully, as Kusari tried to hide his excitement and Sekitan yawned.

"It seems to me," the tigress began slowly, "that aside from finding a new technique, you need to first catalogue your assets which includes that of us, the Porcelain Warriors, and the Written Words. Soushi's gift is speed, and given her position, I'm guessing she is as fast as Lee-kun, if not faster. Her attacks may be weaker, but she'd be able to act as a diversion if necessary. Sekitan has firepower in the most literal sense, and once distracted will be good for a finishing blow. Kusari, your attacks would be a way to get around the sand shield, but from what I've heard, they're not quite strong enough. Yorukashu meanwhile, can also help with Soushi's distraction in the mist technique, but also if Niwaka's strategy so states it, then the Shadow Replication will definitely be useful."

"I feel kind of unfair," I remarked. "I have all you guys helping me and he'll only have himself."

"It's not unfair," Sekitan told me. "We're all pieces of you anyway. And besides, it takes effort from you to bring us out." True, even with full chakra and not even battling, calling all five of them at once had tired me beyond belief. But most of the time I could pull off calling out all of the Words or all of the Warriors; bringing out some of each was drastically harder since it stressed two different techniques at once.

"Well, you guys are the best parts of me." I ran my hands through my hair, thinking. "In fact, I think you stole my best qualities a long time ago. If I had fire jutsu or extremely heavy katanas then I would..." I trailed off as an idea suddenly struck me.

"Niwaka-sama?" Yorukashu asked, concerned. "What is it?"

"I know what technique I'm going to learn," I said absentmindedly, staring off at nothing.

"Tell us!" Soushi said, nearly shaking in anticipation.

"I will later," I said quickly, taking back all of the scrolls and shrinking Soratsume back to her figurine shape. "Don't worry, I have everything under control. I just need to ask someone about something."

"Fine," Kusari said grudgingly. "But you _will_ call us back as soon as you're done, or so help me—" I didn't get to hear the rest of his threat because I'd already forced him back into the open scroll and dumped them unceremoniously in the pocket.

I ran as fast as I could down to the forest training grounds where Asuma would still be working with Shikamaru. They wouldn't break till late, so I could easily find them. Now here was something the guy could help me with. I skidded to a halt just before being run over by a large rotating Chouji with spikes all over it. I know it sounds weird, but that's how it was. I let him speed by, nearly getting nicked by the kunais all over his body.

"Hey, Asuma-sensei!" I shouted over to the jounin standing by the trees. "You got a moment?"

"Of course," he said passing Shikamaru who was bracing himself for impact from the giant ninja. "What is it you need?"

"I just have a question," I said tentatively. "How do combining techniques work?"

"What do mean by that?"

"Where different things are combined into one being. I know for a fact Kiba's working on it with Akamaru right now."

"What exactly did you have in mind?" Asuma asked.

"I have four Written Words, right? And I want to connect them all to me in a single entity. I was thinking it would be maybe a tiny bit easier since they all came from me in the first place. If I could combine each of their techniques with mine, then it could give me a better chance of defeating Gaara."

Asuma looked surprised. "It's definitely a possibility," he said, lost in thought. "And it _would_ be much easier, considering that all of your Written Words' chakra is actually yours." He stroked his beard, chewing his cigarette. "Essentially, when you're making these Words, you're taking your chakra and converting it into a different form which can be used by them. As soon as you recall it, it is converted back to the way you're accustomed to using it. Now if you wanted to draw all of it back, that's only focusing chakra. But if you wanted to retain the difference in chakra, you'd have to alter your focus." He sat and patted the ground next to him. I wrapped my arms around my knees and listened closely. "You know how you can sense chakra that's different than your own within certain distances?" I nodded. "Well, it's a little like that. There are techniques that drain other chakra, but that also converts it to your own kind.

"With Kiba and Akamaru it's different because Akamaru's chakra is distinctly different but already intertwined. Kiba doesn't need to convert it at all, but that's what's going to make it difficult for you. "

"But what do you suggest?" I asked, getting a little impatient. _Kusari's got to stop rubbing off on me_.

He chewed on his cigarette for a few more moments before saying, "Another scroll could do it. But Niwaka, the chances of you pulling off this technique in your present condition are slim to none. Calling all of them at once is one thing; I know you can do that and still have some residual chakra. But it would most likely use up the rest of your reserves."

"So you want me to keep exercising my chakra," I said. "Is there anything specific you want me to do? Certain practice moves?"

Asuma shrugged. "It's really up to you, Niwaka. But if I were you, I'd continue to use your Words every day. See how long you can keep up training with all four of them out, and while you keep up that, I'm going to see what I can find about your new scroll."

"Thanks, Asuma-sensei." I saluted him and hopped over the battling Shikamaru and Chouji on my way out of the clearing.

I supposed I had enough chakra for calling out the Words again later that evening. Not now though, because I was still tired from their previous summoning. I wondered dimly what everyone else would be doing to prepare. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind I could imagine each of the shinobi preparing in their separate ways. Naruto would be eating ramen every day, running around and replicating himself a thousand times over; Temari, blowing things around with her fan; Shino communing with the bug community; Kankuro, puppeteer extraordinaire; Neji, training his Byakugan; Dosu... I didn't know what he'd be doing. But I knew what Gaara would be. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Then again, he didn't need to.

I ran my hands through my hair in frustration as I walked down the street. What I would give to have the Parallel Fantasy. To have twice the chakra stored up for better use... What I would give. But I didn't. I was lucky as it was anyway. I did have the other four Nyuushin techniques and I knew how to use them reasonably well. But I guess everyone in the clan wishes they had the Bloodline Limit. I forced my mind away from that. Parallel Fantasy hadn't appeared in Umougakure for centuries; and it wouldn't appear anytime soon. No use in wishing.

It was still early in the day, sun just beginning to move in the center of the sky. I don't know why, but I felt restless, like there was something I should be doing. There was no time for me to be wandering aimlessly, not with my imminent battle with Gaara right around the corner. _Taijutsu training,_ I thought to myself. _I should be able to waste some of my time with that_.

I thought hard as I switched directions and headed to another training ground. Kankuro, Mr. Confident, had told me I was going to die. And I'd said I wasn't worried about it. That wasn't a lie. But for some reason, I was still clinging to that thread of hope that I was going to make it through the match. I was still trying, wasn't I? I'd gone to Asuma for help, organized my trump card. And still I didn't understand how I felt about any of it. On the one hand, part of me liked the sound of death, although I would never passively let myself be killed. Release from all things and troubles. But on the other hand, I didn't want to die just yet. I had people around me I wanted to protect. Whether it was Hinata or Naruto, or my two teammates. And even if it was a small thing, I wanted to live long enough to make Neji pay.

But surprisingly enough, I didn't want to defeat Gaara. Not necessarily. I was scared of him, I admit; I didn't know anyone who wasn't. But I felt so sorry for him. He was avoided wherever he walked and although his cold stare is always steady, it was as if I could see a heart beating underneath it all. No, I didn't want to fight him. I wanted to help him. But there was no way I was going to do that, not during the Chuunin Exam.

I reached the training grounds within a couple of minutes, and carefully picked out a thick post with a target painted on its front. Kicking something sounded good at that moment. I began to attack the target with a vengeance I didn't even know I had. I switched from kicks to punches, and then back again, determined not to stop until I was on the brink of passing out. My hands began to bleed slightly, but I ignored the pain, too intent on keeping up the attacks.

"You're still training?" I turned, accidentally striking my foot against the side of the post. Hopping up and down and cursing, I glared bloody murder at Shikamaru. "Not very ninja of you, letting me surprise you like that," he observed, hands in his pockets.

"I was thinking," I snapped, steadying myself.

"Yeah, you're always doing that aren't you?"

I sighed. "Did you come here to accuse me of using my head too often, or another specific purpose? Because I honestly don't have the time to do either." I continued to beat the target.

"Aren't you taking this a _little _bit too seriously, Niwaka?" I stopped my assault and turned to squint at him. Shikamaru just met me eye for eye. He looked as if he wouldn't leave until he said what he meant.

"Alright," I said and sat down right where I was. "You've obviously got something on your mind, so out with it quickly." When he didn't move, I flapped both hands at him. "Go on!"

Hesitatingly, Shikamaru knelt down on the ground across from me. For once, he looked almost intent on something other than clouds. "You're really going to go through with this match?"

How did I know he was going to say something like that? I crossed my arms defiantly. "Of course I am."

"Niwaka, you didn't see the match and you don't know what he could do to you!" I was taken aback. Shikamaru didn't get this worked up unless he was actually in battle.

"Kill me? Yeah, I got the idea." Why did that fact always have to come up? His angry expression faltered for a moment, but I just went on. "Of course he could kill me. Or I could refuse to die. Either way, it'll be entertaining, right?"

Shikamaru shook his head clenching the grass on either side of him. "How can you talk about dying so lightly? Don't you realize what you're talking about? The end of living, of everything."

"Well I can see our views on death are substantially different." He rubbed his forehead as if I was making his mind strain. "Death isn't the end, and it's not a beginning. Who knows? People fear death because they don't know what happens when you die. But _everything dies_. You delay it as long as you can, or you make it some sooner. Some people seek death, some seek life. But do any of us really have a purpose for living? I wouldn't know the answer to that. All I can say is that when it's my time to die, I'll know it. And something tells me that Gaara isn't going to be the end of me."

"He'd better not be," Shikamaru growled. "Niwaka, you should be more careful. A lot of us wouldn't know what to do if you were killed. Hinata still needs you." He paused. "Chouji and I do too."

I blushed a deep crimson. The idea of being needed by someone... That was new for me. All of my friends before I came to Konoha were at least twice as old as me, and though of me as a burden. But here was what the kids from other villages must call real friendship.

"Thanks, Shikamaru," I said quietly. "I promise you, I'll be alive for a _very, very _long time."

* * *

I had trouble keeping track of the time for the next several days. Perhaps it was from the exhaustion of all my training. Every day, I stretched my chakra to the limit. I went from calling the Written Words twice a day, to four times a day. And in between, I made sure to get in as much taijutsu training as possible. Occasionally I performed certain genjutsu or ninjutsu while the Words were out so that I could get used to working with the little chakra I had. It was definitely more difficult than I'd anticipated, and often I had to stop the technique in the middle and catch my breath. Some of the time, I even fell asleep after a particularly intense session on the ground where I'd been training. There were now exactly sixteen days until the final matches.

Asuma found me in the afternoon at the training grounds. I pretty much lived there now, only going back to my little apartment for the night. I'd called out the Written Words again, the third time that day. I was going to try pushing five times that day if I could manage. I'd roped the Words into working their chakra as well. Admittedly, the concept is abstract to have pieces of you control their chakra while you use the power you still retain. But I didn't think about it. Soushi was replicating herself about fifty times over while Yorukashu surrounded a copse of trees with mist. Sekitan and Kusari were having a full out showdown in between the other two, the former blasting fireballs in near succession and the latter slicing the air with his katanas. I myself was lying on my stomach, face an inch from the ground and humming. The soil beneath my noise was shifting gently.

"Niwaka!" I glanced up and all four of the others did too. Asuma was waving at me with something in his hand. Realizing what it must've been, I jumped up and ran over.

"You've done it?" I asked, breathless.

His eye glinted mischievously. "Of course I have. Who do you think you're talking to?" I reached to grab the scroll but he pulled it away. "Not so fast. We have a couple things to go over first."

"I'm listening," I said. Kusari had come to stand at my shoulder and was staring at the jounin without shame. I pushed him back with one hand toward the others. He took it as a dismissal and stood behind Yorukashu looking put out.

Asuma glanced at Kusari with something like wariness and curiosity. He'd never spoken or even really interacted with any of the Words. "This scroll has all you need to pull off this crazy stunt," he said. "But instead of putting chakra _into_ it, you'll be pulling yours back _through_ it."

"Huh?"

"Okay, so let's say you have all of your Words out like you do now. You're going to want to put your hand in the center of the scroll-" he unrolled it and placed a palm on the large painted symbol "- and focus the chakra in the Words to yourself. As we already said, in normal circumstances you would just receive the rest of your chakra, but if you do it through the scroll then you will have five uniquely trained chakras inside of your one body. Do you understand?"

I nodded and looked over at the Words before facing Asuma again. "How much effort will it take?"

"Considerable." He re-rolled the scroll and handed it over to me. I carefully dropped it into an otherwise empty pocket. "Even though you're just bringing back chakra, you use some of your own to fuel the scroll itself. When you're low after just summoning all of them, it'll be quite difficult. But there is an upside." I cocked my head to listen. "Although you're not aware of it, when you summon each one of them, there's a little bit of chakra still left inside the scroll that adds to their power. Each time you summon them, they retain a minimal amount of chakra even after you've recalled it. So as long as you can manage to perform the joining of them to you, then you can replace whatever chakra you've lost with the extra that they'll bring back."

I gaped at my teacher. "Are you serious?" I whispered. "That's incredible! So my chakra supply will be virtually full after I've performed this." I looked back at the Words who looked about as ecstatic as I was in their separate ways. "This must be one of the greatest feelings in the world," I said shaking my head. "And it merits a celebration."

"Not just yet, Niwaka," Asuma said with an easy grin. "We'll celebrate once you've done it." With that, he loped away with a lazy wave behind him.

"Well, my minions." I turned around and grinned at all of my Written Words, assembled together and waiting for instruction. "Let's give it a try."

"I concur!" Kusari said quickly.

"You _would_," Sekitan muttered and Kusari gave her a disgruntled look that clearly said he wanted to hurt her.

"I think we should wait." Yorukashu looked for support from Soushi and she promptly stepped up next to him.

"Niwaka-sama, you're still not one hundred percent with summoning us," she said, pulling on her silver hair nervously. "I would wait a few days. You _have_ already called us three times today. Wait a while and do it the first time." Yorukashu nodded agreement.

"As eager as I am, I think I'm gonna have to go with them on this one," I said with an apologetic look at Kusari. "They do have a point. And plus, I'm not looking forward to having your voice in my head." He grumbled but eventually gave in and I settled back into the routine, waiting for the day when I could unleash the new technique.

* * *

**Hope it wasn't too boring. I've put this one under Asuma and Shikamaru since they're probably the most important people. In other categories... I've been thinking where I'm going to go with the story on a romantic basis (INSERT VARIOUS REACTIONS HERE). At first, I thought I had it set, but now I'm not so sure. I'm pretty much fine with any pairing as long as it doesn't involve Sasuke or it's just never going to happen. Or both. And that's just for everyone else. About Niwaka... I thought I had her set a couple of times, but I've never stuck with the original idea. I kind of want to hear what other people think, so I'm just throwing that out there in case someone has a good idea of who they want to see paired with our heroine.**

**PEACE.**


	9. Liar, Liar

**Greetings! Well, this chapter's a bit unexpected to tell the truth. Summer is awesome, just so all of you clearly understand that. But I'm going to summer school with the dumbest teacher on the planet and it's a waste of my life, not to mention that I wake up at six in the morning and get home at like one-thirty. ANYWAY! I just got home from a visit to my favorite place on Earth, and feeling depressed, I watched some anime and it kind of got me back into the whole Naruto thing. So I wrote. This chapter's a follow-up on the last one and the last bit isn't really new. It's one of those "what would have happened if Niwaka was there" things. Hopefully, you can enjoy.**

* * *

"Just do it already," I heard Kusari mutter. I was about five seconds away from slapping him upside the head. Why did he always have to make things so difficult?

"I'll do it when I do it," I snapped at him, unrolling the new scroll. "Just shut up, I've gotten enough of you in the last week than anyone should in a lifetime!" Thrusting my hand at the center of the paper, I looked at the four of them. "Might as well do it fast and find out what happens before the suspense eats you." I began to channel the chakra.

It felt odd. The way it might feel to have words shoved back into your mouth after saying them. I could sense the chakra almost swimming through my fingers and up my arm. It even seemed pleasant. The others felt it as well. In fact, _I_ could feel what they were feeling. Their excitement, anticipation; the nervous energy running through them. But then the strain began. I fought weariness, determined to get to the end. It was like a swirl in the center of my navel. Something came out and at the same time, something came in. It was hard to tell where one end and the other began. My eyes drooped and my hand started to fall limp. _Just a little more. Just a little..._

And then they were gone. I searched the training grounds until I was sure it had worked. Was I still me? Had I done it? I needed to look in a mirror. But no sooner had I taken one step that my mind began to waver. I reached a hand up to my forehead and noticed my fingernails had grown an inch longer. There was something wet between my eyebrows, and I immediately drew my fingers away. One more step and the sky dimmed slowly to grey. Another and it turned to black. And then there was nothing.

* * *

Voices buzzed as my eyes flickered open, and sunlight hit my face. I blinked a few times before I got my bearings. The clean white sheets were unfamiliar, as was the small bedside table. I tried to sit up, but as soon as my head left the pillow, it began to pound unbearably. I lay down again. _So I'm in the hospital_, I mused, staring up at the ceiling. _Lovely._

"She's awake!" I heard someone exclaim from the other side of the room. I calmly waited as quick footsteps neared my bed. The first face I saw belonged to Chouji and I smiled up at him.

"Enjoying my incapacitation?" I queried. "I'm sure any time without my yammering must be welcome." I glimpsed Kiba, Hinata, and Sakura behind Chouji. "How long exactly was that?"

"Two days," Sakura said, placing a flower in the vase on the bedside table. "Asuma found you in the training grounds in pretty bad shape."

"Asuma?" I asked, attempting to sit up again. I steadied myself on the bedpost and Kiba came to help, supporting my arm. "He really understated the difficulty of the technique, that liar." I saw that my fingernails had returned to normal. I shuddered at the thought of passing out. What if no one had found me? "They say how long I'll have to be in this jail?"

"Not yet," Hinata said, pressing her fingers together. "But they think it'll be at least another three days."

I sucked in my cheek, contemplating. "Three days, my foot. The hospital's the last place I want to be, not with the matches coming up. What is it, ten days now?" They all nodded. "Oh well. No use whining about it. When can I walk?"

"Sometime today," Chouji said. "But you'll need to take some medicine first."

I grimaced. "Oh, even better." I glanced around the bare sickroom thoughtfully. "Is Lee-san in?"

Sakura nodded a little sadly. "Of course. He'd love it if you came to see him. He's still... well... dealing with the battle." She gave me a meaningful look.

"I'm not going to back out," I said gently but firmly. Everyone else's faces acquired looks of disappointment. "Guys, it's alright. I swear." The expressions changed to dubious ones. I sighed. "So has anything happened that I missed? Anything whatsoever?"

Kiba shrugged. "Nothing to report. Although..." He glanced at Sakura and she turned her head away, frowning grimly. "Sasuke's disappeared."

I sighed. I wouldn't even start on this thing. I'd begun referring to these things as SAHI (Sasuke and His Issues). No use wasting breath if they happened so often. "Is he gonna show up for the finals or not?" I asked, knowing that Sakura would be upset if I didn't show a bit of concern.

"No one knows," she answered sadly. "I hope he's alright."

_Of course you do, silly girl._ "Nothing else? How's Naruto, Hinata?"

She blushed, predictably and pressed her fingers together like usual. "I haven't seen him lately," she said. "But I heard he's training with a strange old man near the waterfalls most days."

I raised my eyebrows. "Well, that certainly is new. Hmmm… Who am I missing? Oh yeah, what's old Shikamaru up to? And Shino?"

"Same," Kiba said with a shrug. "They came in to visit a couple of times, but you were still unconscious. You want us to tell them you're awake?"

"Nah, don't bother." I flapped a hand and tried to prop myself up higher. My head still hurt, but the pounding was lessening into more of a tapping. "I'll just find 'em later. You said Lee was in, right? I want to see him."

"Right now?" Hinata asked, alarmed.

I blinked a few times. "Yeah. Of course. Any problem with that?"

"Well, for starters, you're incapacitated as you put it," Chouji said, pulling a bag of chips out of nowhere and beginning to munch. "The nurses would faint if you tried to get out of bed this soon after you woke up."

"You should have seen them the day Sasuke left," Sakura said with a shake of her head. "They had fits trying to find him. And then Lee was out of his room trying to train."

"Hold on, you never told me that," I said, looking at Sakura suspiciously. "He was training? In his condition. He must be legitimately insane." _Or just determined to the point of suicide._ "All right, I'm going."

"But, Niwaka-chan, you can't walk!" Hinata said urgently.

"Watch me." I swung my legs over the side of the bed with some difficulty and lifted myself gingerly to my feet. I swayed once before taking a step and then falling into a heap on the floor. "Well, that didn't go exactly the way I planned," I muttered against the ground. My four visitors rushed to help me back onto the bed and I gladly accepted their assistance. "Okay, so I can't walk. But would anyone mind if I took a wheelchair?" They looked at me dumbly. "You know, a wheelchair? They still exist, don't they?"

"I'll go," Chouji said, sounding disgruntled, and left the room.

"You really should be in bed," Sakura reminded me. As if I didn't know.

"Yeah, but things I should do rarely turn out the way I meant them to. Just watch, if I stay in that bed, a rock will fall from the sky and crush me." I grimaced. "Besides, I need to go see that idiot if it's the last thing I do."

Chouji returned shortly, pushing the wheelchair I'd requested. I climbed into the seat guided by Hinata and we made our way to the front desk where we asked for permission to go into Lee's room. Although she gave me many disapproving looks on the way, she let all five of us into the room. Lee had gotten better since his arrival, so there was no time limit placed on us. Understanding that we needed privacy, the nurse left with one more glare in my direction.

Once she'd gone, Chouji, Kiba, and Hinata excused themselves. At length, Sakura did too, though she changed the daffodil by the window before departing. Lee was asleep at the moment, but I was prepared to wait. The chair wasn't all that comfortable, but I could handle discomfort easily. I was a ninja, wasn't I?

He looked like some kind of war hero when he was sleeping. On one hand, he seemed at peace, but on the other, the bandages on his arms and cheeks forced a grim look upon him. I was so sorry for him. I didn't know whether he was tired of hearing it or not. But in any case, it must have been terrible.

I fell asleep more than once while waiting. But at length, Lee's large, round eyes opened and he blinked sleep away. "Niwaka-san? Is that you?"

"Live and in person," I answered with a grin. "How are you feeling?"

"Do you want the truth or a reassuring lie?"

"Truth please."

"Terrible," Lee said turning his head over to the other side. "And even worse since they won't let me train."

"And rightly!" I told him. "You want to get stronger, but if you try to work yourself while you're injured, you'll just make it worse. Trust me, I know."

He closed his eyes. "You're probably right. But, Niwaka-san, I have a question."

"Go ahead."

"Why are you in a wheelchair?" He stared at me patiently, waiting for a response.

"I passed out two days ago," I said, brushing it off. "Not a big deal though—"

"Hypocrite! Hypocrite, hypocrite, hypocrite!" Lee shrieked at me. "And you tell me not to overdo it. When did you wake up?"

"Ten minutes ago, but I—"

"I can't believe you, Niwaka-san."

I gave him a one-sided smile. "Okay, so everyone says I should've stayed in bed, but come on. I can't pass up a chance to see my favorite taijutsu master."

Lee's face turned bright red and I could almost see the stars in his eyes. "Niwaka-san, you're the best." _They must not have told him yet,_ I thought feeling a wrench in my chest. _Lee, just hang in there._

"I don't know who told you that," I said. "But they're not trustworthy. Don't believe them. In fact, don't ever go near them again. They're trouble."

He laughed, sitting up a little. "Well, a lot of people say that," he confessed. "Most of the Konoha genins agree, anyway."

"The entire village should be an asylum then," I concluded, pounding my fist into my other hand. "They aren't well."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Niwaka-san."

We talked for a few more minutes about ordinary things until a nurse arrived to give Lee his medicine. She kicked me out as soon as she entered, protesting that Lee needed rest and (no surprise to me) that I should still be in bed. I leaned on my fist sourly as a second nurse was called to wheel me back to my room.

Well, three days was something I could handle. As long as I didn't have to stay in my room.

* * *

Finally my imprisonment ended, leaving me as well as before I'd cast my combining technique. I spent the rest of that day organizing my equipment since I wasn't too eager to begin training after what had happened. To tell the truth, I was apprehensive about even seeing any of my Words.

But the next morning, it dawned on me. I only had six days left before the matches. And I had been in the hospital for five days. I did the calculations. If I attempted the Completed Word again, that meant I would have one day, taking into account the passing out and getting better. I couldn't do that with the main matches so close. The best thing to do, I decided, was just continue as I had before. Call out the Written Words as many times a day as I could and push myself to the limit. It could work. And maybe if I kept going and stretched my chakra far enough I could perform the technique against Gaara. Besides. Need always fuels strength.

I called out Soushi first. She was always the easiest since I'd created her first. "What took so long?" She asked brushing silver hair out of her face. "I've been waiting for you for forever!"

"This isn't exactly what I planned," I protested, taking Kusari's scroll from my pocket. "_I _certainly didn't know I'd wind up in the hospital for five days. And I'm calling you out now, so just stay calm while I get everyone else." As soon as Kusari appeared, he thumped me over the head with a huge fist. "Okay, why is everyone blaming me? I'm sorry I don't have a lot of chakra!" I gave Kusari a slap of his own which was promptly followed by a flick in the head compliments of Soushi.

"Fine, fine," Kusari said and sat down on the bench where I'd been sitting. "But I'm waiting for your explanation, Niwaka." He crossed his arms. I retrieved the other two from their scrolls and proceeded to tell them what had happened after I activated the scroll.

"You can't risk it again," Yorukashu said uncertainly. "Not without more time on your hands. But if you just keep training, then how are you going to take on Gaara?"

I sat back for a moment and then smiled. "I have absolutely no idea. My best chance was if I used the Completed Word, but you saw how that turned out. Oh, also. What do you four remember about what happened? I mean after I'd finished the technique?"

"Not much," Sekitan said with a shrug. "We were there, and then for a moment it felt like you were inside of us. But then everything switched around and I thought I was looking out of your eyes. I didn't mean to, but I think I tried to walk, and then..." She shook her head. "It must have been much harder than Asuma gave you credit for. But you're going to continue training anyway."

"Of course. It's not as if I have a choice." I rubbed my forehead with my fingers. Even after I left the hospital, the spot in between my eyes still tingled once in a while. "Anyway, once this is all over, I'm taking a vacation. I don't care what my team says, I am going to go away for a week and no one is going to stop me.

Kusari snorted. "Sure. If you're still alive." That earned him another two slaps, one from Soushi and the other from Sekitan.

"But there is some good news, Kusari," I said with an evil glint in my eye. "If I dead, then you're dead too. You'll never be able to offer rude comments ever again.

He groaned. "A valid point," he sighed. "Let the training carry on!"

* * *

And that's how the next five days progressed. The same as the entire last month. The day before the matches dawned and I was beginning to lose my confidence. I'd begun my routine the next day, growing more nervous by the second, but I didn't call out the Words, wanting to save chakra.

"Still at it?"

Wrenching a kunai out of the training post, I grinned. "You know it, Shikamaru. You're finished already?"

"I figured I'm either ready or I'm not. Today's for resting up."

I stopped. "Good point. Wouldn't want to use it all up the day before, would I?"

"Anyway," Shikamaru said, leaning on a nearby tree. "I came by to see if you wanted to visit the hospital with me. I heard Naruto was put in a few days ago."

"What for?" I asked leaving the training grounds and following Shikamaru onto the village streets.

"Like I'd know that," he said with a small shake of his head. "But I have nothing better to do." We both walked to the hospital in silence and were brought to Naruto's room immediately. The nurses said he'd been asleep for three days already. Shikamaru and I settled down for a game of Shogi, just seeing how long we could wait for him to wake up before leaving. Shikamaru had beaten me four times before Naruto slowly opened his eyes.

"Hey, lazy," I said, sitting on the edge of his bed. "Long time no see."

"Niwaka-chan? Where am I? WAIT!" He sprang up from the bed, completely recovered and energetic as ever. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Three days," Shikamaru said in an offhand way. He moved another piece on the Shogi board.

Naruto sputtered, eyes growing wide. "Three whole days? Then that means the matches are tomorrow! I have to get up. Have to train. Where's Ero-sennin? I need to see the perverted hermit." Shikamaru and I looked at each other and I nodded to him. He tackled Naruto against the side of the bed, holding down his arms. "Shikamaru, what are you doing? I have to train!"

"Slow down," Shikamaru said, holding him down effortlessly with one hand. "Don't get so worked up. Here, Chouji couldn't eat this, and you must be hungry." He gave Naruto a basket of fruit and the other boy looked from the pile of food to Shikamaru to me.

"What's wrong with Chouji?" he asked.

"Too much barbeque," Shikamaru and I answered at the same time.

"Oh... I think we should eat it in front of him."

"Naruto, that's mean," I said, although I couldn't help but smile. "But I have been meaning to come see him. Just haven't gotten around to it."

"That's her excuse for forgetting about it," Shikamaru muttered to Naruto. "But fine, let's go." We set out to the other side of the hospital. It was hard to believe Naruto had been asleep only minutes before. He was striding along, grinning and laughing as if he hadn't found out the final matches were tomorrow. But we'd only gone down one hallway when Shikamaru stopped.

"What is it?" I asked, suddenly alert. Something wasn't right.

"Chakra," he said quietly. "Coming from Rock Lee's room. It's not his. And it's not friendly."I tuned in my senses to see what he was talking about and immediately withdrew. I ran down the opposite hall to the door labeled with Lee's name. "Niwaka, be careful, we have no idea what's going on. Be more subtle."

I sighed. "Shikamaru, you take care of it. I'll follow. Naruto, just don't..." He looked at me questioningly. "Don't do that thing you're always doing, when you go in and yell and tell the guys they'll never beat you." I could see the disappointment on his face, but he nodded dolefully.

Shikamaru opened the door without a sound and I stayed close behind him with Naruto at the rear. Somehow I wasn't surprised to see Gaara standing over Lee's bed, but I almost gasped when I saw the sand streaming over the sheets, rustling lightly and the cold fury in his face as he lifted his hand.

Shikamaru didn't think twice before using the Shadow Imitation. Gaara raised his head in surprise and I held back Naruto to stop him from doing anything stupid (he clearly wanted to). The sand froze over Lee's face. I was afraid to move, afraid to speak, hell, afraid to even breathe.

Everything seemed to happen so fast and so slow at the same time. It was as if I was not in my own body, but watching from someone else. Naruto demanded to know what Gaara was doing. Gaara replied he was trying to kill him. Somehow I wasn't surprised to know that either. Shikamaru continued the interrogation, but no matter what was asked of him, Gaara's face didn't change. Killing again. Why did it always have to be killing?

At first, his eyes didn't move, but after a while I saw his gaze drift from Shikamaru to me. Back and forth, methodically. Analyzing us for any sign of a threat. But he obviously didn't seem threatened from the way he told us he would kill us. That was about the time our Naruto-stays-inconspicuous plan went south. The result of that was Naruto's declaration of the 'monster' inside of him.

Gaara closed his pale eyes. "A monster, eh? Then I am the same." It was then that the three of us heard Gaara's sad tale. He'd had it much harder than Naruto had, I found out. I'd only come to the village around half a year ago, but the past of everyone was pretty clear. Naruto was alone, parentless and determined. But he'd never been hunted down to be destroyed by his father. It was a different kind of loneliness that no kind of companionship could fix easily. Naruto hadn't known his father. And neither had I. Sometimes it was better to never have, than to have and lose.

As Gaara talked, his eyes grew wide and bloodshot. He grinned wolfishly. "I exist to kill everyone other than me."

"You're only a monster because you tell yourself you are," I said quietly. His smile wavered and he locked on me again. I continued, trying my best not to look down. "You choose the title of monster because people fear your power. You choose to kill because it makes you have a reason to live? Does anyone have a reason to live? Your father was the one who forced this on you, and believing that you're too dangerous to live is the same as letting him hold power over your head."

"Niwaka," Shikamaru said warningly. "Don't make him angry. You know what he could do to you."

I ignored him. "People fear what they don't understand. And no one exists for any reason besides the fact that they were born as they are. You're no monster. You're human. And part of being human is finding a way to cope with your problems."

I could tell I'd made him furious. The sand that should have laid dormant thanks to Shikamaru rose up into the air with incredible speed and floated high above Gaara's head. "I should have killed you earlier," he said almost nonchalantly. The sand was coming at us faster than any of us could imagine. Naruto was shaking and Shikamaru still trying to figure out why his Shadow Imitation was failing. I certainly wasn't doing anything to help. I made one scrabbling attempt at my pocket, but before I could reach, the sand fell to the ground.

Gai was standing in the doorway, looking angry and righteous. "The main matches are tomorrow," he announced. "There is no need to get hasty. Or do you want to get hospitalized today?"

Gaara's face contorted uncontrollably and he clutched at his hair, trembling. The sand retreated from Lee's bed and back into Gaara's gourd. He sent us a death glare as his expression returned to normal and walked deliberately out of the room. In the doorway he stopped and passed his eyes over Shikamaru, then Naruto and then let them land on me. "Tomorrow," he seethed, eyes dangerous, "you will die. And I'll kill the other two as well."

And he left us there, Naruto still speechless. Shikamaru stared at me with a look of disbelief plain across his face. "Like hell he's not going to kill you!" he yelled angrily. "You filthy liar!"

"Liar I may be," I mused. "But it's being believed that's the real trick."

* * *

**Yay! Next chapter will be the main matches which will be mostly new stuff. I'll only briefly mention the other matches since we already know how most of those turn out. And after the main matches is when we stray from the Naruto storyline and get into Niwaka's own plot. Be excited people! Intrigue and mystery to come!**

**UPDATE! - I've changed the characters to Gaara and Lee for this chapter. It was kinda hard to determine who took the character-crown for it, but whatever. Also, fun trivia. Before I started watching Naruto, I though Jiraiya and Kankuro were the same person. (Silly me.)**


	10. The Sound of Fear

**HA! You guys thought I forgot about you, didn't you? WELL, GUESS AGAIN! I'm very sorry for the exceptionally long wait (it's been months hasn't it?) but I am telling you, Outward Bound sucks all of the inspiration out of a person. Let's just say, I hiked over three mountains, two notches, it rained for five straight days, and our sleeping hours were generally midnight to five in the morning. It was horrible, and yet somehow I'm glad I did it. I AM NEVER DOING IT EVER AGAIN. I like my shower, thank you. I don't want to go without it for another whole two weeks. Well, suffice to say, afterwards I couldn't write for a month. Now, I'm just starting to get back into my own novel and here is the continuation of my labors! I really hope it's worth the wait.**

**P.S. Right now I have exactly 1,000 hits. How great is that?**

**P.P.S. Special thanks to 13Noir and pigs103 for being my only reviewers. I LOVE YOU GUYS!**

* * *

Some people get the impression from me that I don't need a lot of sleep. And whatever they say, that is complete nonsense. On a regular basis, thanks to the monotony of training, I get about six hours of sleep. That's pathetic. Only some kind of freak can operate normally with _six hours_. I tend toward the other direction. The last time I was completely awake was years ago, and then it was only because I'd been in bed for two weeks with a fever. So when my brain finally registered that the main matches were tomorrow, I threw myself onto the sheets without even undressing and closed my eyes.

But despite my craving for rest, I was never good at sleeping. I tossed and turned that night, twisting the covers in every direction, first deciding it was too hot, then too cold, and then (it could only be my drowsiness taking over) too tepid. By the time sleep finally subdued me, it was late. Much later than I'd have liked. It also didn't help that I had dreams.

* * *

_The sun was out, shining over the trees and sending dappled shadows across the path. I could see small, green leaves float down from the canopy and flutter across the ground. There was peace about the trail. I walked down it with a pleasant feeling. Contented. I passed Soratsume, rolling in the grass, fur rippling with the breeze. All of the Warriors were there, acting whimsical and instinctive. All but two._

_In the next moment the forest opened onto a wide beach, silent save for the gentle lapping of waves on the shore. Shikamaru and Chouji sat on the sand side by side, the former tracing lines in the sand, the latter tossing pebbles into the water._

"_What are you doing here?" I asked, sounding ethereal and somehow dizzy._

"_Someone has to," Chouji replied. "Someone has to keep watch while you're gone."_

"_But where am I going?" I heard rather than felt uncertainty in my voice._

"_To the bottom," Shikamaru said. "He's waiting for you. You have to kill him."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because of the glory," he answered as if the answer were quite obvious. "For Konoha." I looked closer at what he was scratching into the sand and saw the leaf of Konoha standing out darkly. "You should go before the sun sets."_

"_But it's morning, I—" I turned around to indicate the bright sky above the forest but it had been replaced by a blanket of reds, oranges and violets signaling the coming dusk. The forest itself had been chopped down and a cave stood among the mutilated stumps. Cold seemed to emanate from it like an eerie sigh._

"_Come back alive," Chouji said._

"_We'll know if you're lying," Shikamaru added._

_I looked uncomfortably behind me before stepping up to the cave. As I walked in the sky faded to black. There was no moon, but there were hundreds of stars, twinkling from every direction. Strange as it was, I could see perfectly well in the dark. Every so often I'd come to a set of stairs that led me deeper into the cave, and I always hesitated before descending. Finally, a dead end loomed in front of me, and Kumoboufuu was perched on a shard jutting from the wall._

"_When do you plan to give it away, Nyuushin Niwaka?"_

_I creased my forehead. "I don't want to give anything away."_

"_But you will have to someday," he said knowingly. "Everyone does."_

"_When someone else needs it," I replied with a shake of my head. "Why give anything away sooner?"_

_Kumoboufuu lifted his wings in a shrug, letting feathers drop all over the cave floor. "You tell me."_

_I turned around again and this time saw a hill, covered in flowers. At the top sat Gaara, holding Zurui, the final Porcelain Warrior: the snake. I walked slowly up and knelt across from them, noticing with shock that Gaara was smiling. He stroked Zurui's head almost gently, staring at me in contemplation._

"_You're afraid," he said quite placidly._

"_I'm not," I retorted stubbornly. I wouldn't play this game with him, even in a dream._

"_Yes, you are. But what are you afraid of?"_

_I blinked and looked up at the black sky with its many stars. They seemed to reflect upon the flowers a kind of ominous light. "I'm_ not _afraid," I said, louder than the first._

"_They told you not to lie, Niwaka," Gaara said. Was his tone chastising? "Did they tell you what happens to liars?"_

"_I'm_ not _afraid!"_

_Gaara's eyes filled with pity. "Liar, liar." The snake struck, fierce and cold, eyes flashing yellow. The fangs sunk deep into my arm, spreading poison like fire through my blood. Feeling the life drain out of me, I gave one last fleeting look at Gaara, eyes focusing clumsily on the symbol for love on his forehead._

"_I wonder who it was you loved," I whispered before my lids fell._

My eyes opened quickly and my breathing was fast. Dreaming. I'd been dreaming. Suddenly I laughed and rolled out of bed. _Only a dream_, I thought almost crazily. _None of it was real_. It was a minute later that I realized the time, the day and the event that was to be taking place. Scrambling out of bed, I had a quick breakfast and changed into the some clean clothes before jogging down to the arena. I was careful not to go to fast. Saving my energy was the most important thing at this point in time.

I got there early, it appeared, as the stands were just beginning to fill up. A few ninjas were guarding the entrance and they nodded to me as I passed them. _They_ seemed excited. _They_ didn't seem to realize that kid's lives were on the line. No. They were Konoha ninjas. Everything was for honor.

Shikamaru had already shown up to my immense surprise. I'd expected him to accidentally fall asleep on the way there on a bench or under a tree. And yet here he was, punctual and presentable.

"Still got that raging confidence?" he asked me dryly as I sat on the bench next to him.

"Oh, it's… definitely raging," I answered after some hesitation. "I'm just not sure how much of it is confidence."

"If you're going to beat around the bush," he said, "why not actually tell me what's on your mind?"

"I would," I answered slowly, "if I knew it myself."

"Are you finally feeling afraid?"

My spine tingled as I remembered the dream I'd had. "I—" My throat caught and for a moment a stunned look crossed Shikamaru's face. It must have been my expression. The truth was, I acted strong and righteous, but on the inside I was just as fragile as any other person. I just chose not to show it. Emotion didn't make me feel weak or anything. In fact, it was what tethered me to humanity and even my physical skills as a ninja. But exposing my feelings was a vulnerability that I wasn't prepared to share with anyone. So I just hid them, building up a wall of sarcasm and indignant pride to shield myself. If I ever happened to bare my emotions to the world, it would not be a pretty sight. The Nyuushin are hard people to break, and some break into small, neat pieces. But when I break, I _shatter_.

I swallowed hard, letting my throat relax, and calmed my features. "Everyone's afraid," I told him quietly, so quietly it was almost a whisper. "Everyone has something to lose, something they want to hold on to. Sometimes it's a little thing. Sometimes it's colossal. But on some level, everyone is afraid." Shikamaru watched me with something like respect floating behind his eyes. "I'm no different than that," I admitted. "When I first came here, I thought I didn't have anything to be afraid of simply because there was nothing to lose. I thought I could act brave and it would somehow help me, but…" I waved my hand vaguely at myself and then around the arena. "Look where I am now."

Shikamaru sat, silent, for a minute and then leaned back with a calm smile. "I was waiting for you to finally say it. I know you're not going to forfeit the match. If it's all the same, I'd rather just leave the exam and finally get some decent rest. Maybe watch the clouds…" He sighed.

"Why are you even a ninja in the first place?" I inquired. "I mean, you're brilliant and your Shadow Imitation is amazing. It's just, you seem to be so bored with it. You always go around saying, "troublesome" and "how annoying" or things like that, but if you really hated it then I'd think you would quit. So why?"

Shikamaru sighed again. "I really don't know." He paused and then sat up straight. "Almost forgot. I told you about how everyone expected Ino to be on my team?"

I raised my eyebrows at this sudden twist of topics. Maybe Shikamaru was just trying to avoid talking about anything deep. I brushed it off and said, "Because of your dad's old team, right?"

"Yeah." Whatever he was trying to say, it seemed to be making him much more uncomfortable than what we were talking about before. "The point is my parents already know Chouji and Ino but now that you're on my team instead…"

"Geez, cut to the chase, Shikamaru," I said with a laugh. "You're making things sound like your parents are going to kill me."

"Worse," he said vehemently. "They want you to come to dinner."

I blinked. "They do?"

"Troublesome, isn't it? But I wanted to ask before the main matches. Otherwise I'd forget."

Smiling, I leaned my chin on my fists. "Well, then I guess I've got dinner plans. That is, assuming Gaara doesn't kill me."

Shikamaru let out a relieved breath. "Well, it's just one more disaster to add to the list."

Thirty minutes later, the other genins began to show up and we all migrated to the main circle. Sasuke still hadn't reappeared. Naruto and Dosu were absent as well, though I assumed Naruto was packing in some last minute ramen. The stands were buzzing at this point and the eight of us were packed tightly at the center. All eyes were on us. Another odd thing I saw was that the original judge of the preliminaries had been replaced by another ninja chewing on a long stick.

Naruto came sliding into the stadium several minutes later, mumbling something about bulls. Shikamaru helped him up, and then we were ordered to present ourselves to the crowd. I took the opportunity to gaze up into the box where the Hokage was sitting. Next to him, in another platform chair, sat a man similarly clothed except in blue. _He must be the Kazekage_, I thought to myself._ Gaara's father…_"The main matches are really popular, aren't they?" I muttered to Shikamaru.

"You don't know the half of it," he informed me. "My dad thinks it's a festival. I had to drag him home last night, he drank so much."

We were directed to a balcony on the side of the arena while waiting for our match to begin. In fact, it was just like the preliminaries except much more important, much more dangerous, and much more public. I stood with Shino and Shikamaru, as far away from the Sand genins as possible. Naruto's was the first match, against Neji.

At first, I watched tensely, cringing at every blow Naruto took and cursing Neji loudly, not caring who heard. But Naruto didn't fail to impress and by the time the match was over Neji was lying on the ground in defeat.

Sasuke's match against Kankuro was supposed to be next, but as everyone predicted, the Uchiha didn't show up. Instead, Kankuro was matched up with Shino but for reasons unknown, the Sand genin forfeited giving victory to Shino. While this was being decided, Naruto returned and we celebrated his victory in whatever subtle way we could while the Hokage was announcing the news.

Shikamaru's match against Temari was next. It went fast at first, but then everyone settled down to wait as Shikamaru took refuge in the shadow of the west wall. I grinned inwardly. He was using the terrain against her, just the way he always did. Even though Shikamaru ultimately lost the match, I wasn't disappointed with the result. Temari had won, but she hadn't outsmarted him.

It wasn't until the match was over that I realized there was only one left. And that was mine and Gaara's. I smiled at Naruto, Shikamaru, and Shino before hopping down to the platform. Gaara was already down, waiting for the new judge to start the match. The stands had grown quiet as the grave. I supposed they must have been in awe of Gaara and his sand, though maybe a few were waiting to see what I was made of. I glanced up at the Hokage's box and saw the Kazekage shift in his seat the tiniest bit. But everybody was still waiting on Sasuke's match. In order to placate the crowd, the Hokage had agreed to make Sasuke the odd one out so that he would move onto the second round regardless.

The ninja called us to the center, looking slightly apprehensive toward Gaara, but raised his hand high. Time seemed to freeze. Gaara's eyes were wide and bloodshot, but he seemed to be quite calm despite. His back was hunched, and his hands curled dangerously, but instead of the crazed smile I'd seen before, he had a tight frown. I took one last look at the crowd before focusing on my opponent. I suddenly became very aware of the scrolls in my pockets. They would be my only defense. A twinge passed through my chest. I'd had a month to prepare but suddenly none of it was left. The ninja dropped his hand. "Begin!"

Neither of us moved, just stared at each other from our respective places. Gaara's frown seemed to deepen for a moment. The sand trickled out of his gourd to float in the air, but his face was more inspective. "The blood," he muttered to himself. "It's… not tainted. It's not sweet. It's different, Mother. Why is it so different?"

I stood my ground, one hand on my pocket zipper, the other prepared to throw a shuriken or kunai if necessary. I doubted that I could do much damage with either, but it couldn't hurt. Suddenly the sand pelted at me and I jumped back against the far wall. It stopped short and shifted around in the air. Gaara was testing me.

I didn't want to use up too much chakra before it was too late, so I pulled out the first scroll, Soushi's, dodging the next attack from the sand. _No doubt he thinks he can just do away with me like any other person,_ I thought while unrolling the parchment. _He won't try anything flashy unless I really start to be a pain. Maybe if I can pull out some kind of surprise move, he won't go into overdrive until I've got him pinned._ As unlikely as that option seemed to be, I hoped I wasn't completely wrong.

Soushi appeared next to me in a matter of seconds, just in time to leap out of the path of a third sand attack. "It's the day," I told her grimly. "Don't use up any chakra. I'm going to try Completed Word.

She looked nervous, but nodded. "What should I do now?"

"Just keep him distracted as much as you can," I said. I need to get the others." Gaara was only slightly put off by the appearance of another ninja. He quickly split his sand into two smaller groups and sent one after me and the other after Soushi. All the while, trying not to let the sand touch me, I called out the other Words. As each came forward, the sand regrouped until there were five separate entities coming for us.

I watched my Written Words in satisfaction. Soushi was easily avoiding damage since she was the fastest. Yorukashu and Sekitan both had speeds similar to mine and so were doing fine. Kusari, however, had more strength than speed. I was worried until I saw him deflect the sand's assault with his giant katanas. Backing toward the wall, I unrolled the last scroll and looked at it with determination. For some reason I felt no rush.

I had all the time in the world.

I thrust my palm at the center of the scroll and began the channeling. The familiar flooding sensation overtook my senses and it seemed like all I could see was the scroll and it symbols crawling across it. I was vaguely aware that the four words had gathered beside me. Just like before, their emotions ran through my head. They must have been protecting me from Gaara while I drew back my chakra. There was the fatigue coming on. The chakra fueling the technique coursed out of me faster than I thought possible. But all of a sudden the feeling disappeared. Too focused to think about what was happening, I continued to pull. My chakra was still there. It was like I hadn't lost any. Finally, I was done.

The world didn't shake this time, but I had an almost impossible awareness. My forehead wasn't bleeding unlike my first attempt, though by touching my hands I felt the same long fingernails. How had I done it? I should have passed out by now. I took a _very_ tentative step forward, but instead of the imminent weariness, there was strength and purpose. I heard a collective gasp from the crowd and I smirked, watching Gaara through new eyes.

_Soushi,_ I said inwardly. _Are you there?_

_I'm here, Niwaka-sama_, she answered. I heard her voice as clearly as I did my own thoughts.

_Kusari? Yorukashu? Sekitan?_

_Here,_ they all answered simultaneously.

Gaara was visibly perturbed. The sand had withdrawn back to him as he contemplated. I must have shocked him with my transformation. I don't think anybody but Asuma knew about my new technique, and even if they did, it was enough to catch them off guard.

"Let's go," I said quietly, the Words' voices lacing with mine. I formed the seals for the Shadow Replication quickly, as if I'd been doing it all my life and at least fifty of me popped into existence, surrounding Gaara. My mouth fell open at what I looked like.

I was still me, of course, but not the way I knew. I was taller, older looking, and the main seal of the Completed Word was etched in my forehead beneath my bangs. My hair reached the floor now, and it wasn't its normal violet-black. It was like a collage of colors. I recognized Soushi's silver and Yorukashu's blonde, Sekitan's red and Kusari's white. My eyes were a pale grey. They reminded me of Neji and Hinata's Byakugan, cold looking, no pupils.

I stopped myself from gaping openly as soon as Gaara began his offensive again. His sand was contracting and his hand was clawing and closing on the air. _Desert coffin_, I thought to myself.

_Seems like, _Yorukashu said. _How do you plan to avoid it?_

_Easy._ I ran up the wall and circled around, reveling in my new speed and accuracy. The sand was having a hard time keeping up with all of the replications. I had never realized how fast Soushi must have been. She wasn't near as fast as Lee, if I'd heard correctly that he could open the Fifth Gate. But maybe I didn't need too much speed. Lee hadn't had the Shadow Replication. In fact, he didn't have _any _ninjutsu. The odds may have been against me in terms of taijutsu but in terms of ninjutsu, I had some advantages. _If I combine Soushi's speed with her Shadow Replication to disorient him and then come in with Kusari's strength, then maybe I could land a hit on him._

_There are a lot of 'if's and 'maybe's in that sentence_, Kusari said. _We can do it. And besides, if all else fails, we can try genjutsu. He doesn't use it, does he?_

_No_, I said slowly. _I didn't hear anything about genjutsu. But say he_ did _have it and it was as powerful as his sand technique, then I might lose anyway. We'll try this first._ In one large cloud, the replications and I lunged at Gaara from the side of the walls. I used a strategy similar to Naruto's, attack from every angle and catch him off guard. It hadn't worked for him because the attacks weren't close enough together and he was somewhat slow with dodging. For my Completed Word, it might work.

At first Gaara held off my replications without breaking a sweat. They struck and retreated, then continued. But with every move, I picked up the pace a little more. Soon, Gaara was struggling. After another minute the sand seemed only a blur to my replications and me. That was when we finally started making progress. I wrenched Kusari's katanas out of the sheaths that had appeared on my back during the transformation. The replications followed suit and then the onslaught began. We didn't actually try to stab or slash at him, just batter him. Cracks began to creep over the sand armor that surrounded Gaara's body and the strain was evident on his face.

I thought we were doing well, but then the sand _exploded_ around and threw all of the replications and me to the wall. They poofed out of existence as they hit, but I just thudded against the stones with a groan. I immediately got to my feet, prepared to defend myself, but Gaara wasn't using his sand anymore. Instead, he'd gathered it around himself into a globe that was compressing around him. I couldn't see him anymore and there was only a small, dark hole remaining in his shield. I gritted my teeth, staring at the lump of sand. I couldn't risk getting close to that thing. He could do anything from inside it, and if it was as dense as it looked then there was no breaking into it, even with the Completed Word in effect. I sighed.

_Guys, we're going to have to do a genjutsu. I can't touch him. We—_

My thought didn't finish because there was an explosion from the Hokage's balcony. Again, there was a halt. Movement in the stands caught my eye as several ninjas exited through the sides. I squinted up at the top of the arena just in time to see the Kazekage jump above the smoke, holding a knife to the Hokage's throat. Next thing I knew, the entire roof was encased in a dark box, presumably the product of some enemy technique.

Gaara was standing still now, the sand retreating back into the gourd. He was watching the Kazekage. _What's happening?_ I asked the Words. _Is the Sand betraying Konoha? I thought they were under a treaty._

_Treaty, my ass_, Sekitan said. _That's not going to stop anyone if they want something. You should get going if you want to help._ I knew she was right, but I didn't want to leave just yet. It seemed like the stands were empty, but I could clearly see the people. They were just so _quiet._

_Something's wrong with the crowd. They must have done some kind of jutsu._ In seconds another explosion came from outside and I turned my neck so quickly that my neck cracked. What I saw was enough to freeze me in terror. Three enormous snakes were attacking Konoha's walls. I was rooted to the spot, eyes wide in fear and I couldn't seem to remember what was happening around me.

_Niwaka-sama?_ Yorukashu asked. _Is everything alright?_

I barely seemed to hear him, gripping my hands around my arms so hard I nearly lost feeling.

_Be quiet, Yorukashu,_ Kusari said harshly. _Leave her alone._

That I did hear, but I found myself unable to stand them. _I want you all out of my head_ now_. I'm putting you back through the scroll as soon as we figure out what's happening._

I shook my head, making sure not to look at the snakes. What was I going to do? Gaara had begun advancing toward me again, but stopped when Temari and Kankuro jumped down to him. A Sand Ninja appeared as well, presumably their jounin teacher. They whispered heatedly for a few moments, and Gaara sank to his knees on the ground. The match judge jumped in front of me and the two jounins stared each other down for what seemed like forever.

My mind seemed to escape me then. I breathed heavily, falling slowly onto the dirt. Suddenly my temples were pounding and my eyesight blurred. By the time I finally got a reign on myself, the three Sand genin were gone.

"Is Orochimaru the promoter of this party?" the judge asked. A new wave of aches took over my head. _Orochimaru? I feel like I've heard of him before…_"Niwaka." The judge must've spoken again. I looked up, unclenching my hands and shaking of weariness. "The exams."

"Over," I mumbled. My voice was still mixed with the Words and I felt their understanding resonate with my own. "I get it. I'm gone."

"Do you know where to go?"

I stared hard at the rift in the ground where an absolute defense had stood only minutes before. "Gaara," I whispered.

* * *

**Okay! So some interesting things happened in this chapter. The dream, the dinner invitation, a huge invasion. Yeah, I'd say we made some progress. I know I had requests for more emotion from our dear heroine, and I would like to say thank you for reading my mind. No lie, that was one of the purposes of this chapter originally. Another thing: this whole dinner shenanigan. Are we seeing a spark between Niwaka and Shikamaru? I certainly don't know. Maybe other people can shed some light on that. Last issue I want to address! Niwaka has an Indiana Jones type fear, so don't think it's **_**too **_**cheesy or anything. It'll make sense later, unless it already does...**

**Also, before I go take a shower (I love my shower) I want to ask what else I can do to make the story better, anything I should include. And as a random, random offer, do you think I should have a Valentine's Day special chapter? I know it's far away, but I thought something like that would be fun or possibly chaotic. Either way, it would be cool.**

**PEACE OUT!**


	11. Bring On the Rain

**Well, this is awkward... Hi...**

**So, here's my story. I'm not sure when I put out the last chapter, but I know it was a **_**while **_**ago. For a long time, I got out of commission as I decided to actually do my schoolwork and get good grades (so far I've got straight A's, so I think it's working!) and also work on my original writing. (The news on that is that I've got one chapter left to type up before I can start the painful process of editing which will undeniably consume me.) Anyway, I started spring cleaning for my laptop to erase all of those pesky files that eat up space, and I came across my full file for Feathers and Leaves! It took me a while to get back into the rhythm, but I spent three days writing this chapter which I'm pretty sure is my longest so far. I'm an awful person for taking this long, but I knew one day I'd come back to it. I probably should've done a hiatus thing, but cheers to being lazy! It's what sustains me, I think.**

**Anyway, I'm done being serious. Here we have CHAPTER ELEVEN! I don't like it very much, but I say that about a lot of things, so only you will be able to judge whether it's awful or not. Are you up for so much responsibility? I hope so. ANYWAY, here you go, and have fun.**

**jennfire - I do feel honored by your review (actually when I read it, it made me happy for the whole day) and I really appreciate it. I had the same exact thought when I was writing the last chapter! (About the snakes, I mean.) I was so confused, but I went through the episode where they appeared and they referred to the snake(s) in the plural. I'm not sure whether the subtitles were just bad or something, but that's how I found out, so I'm just going to leave it like that.**

* * *

I started toward the left, and then changed my mind, heading for the stands. The ANBU had left to help the Hokage, but I spotted Kakashi and Gai facing a squad of Sand ninja in one of the aisles. I dodged multitudes of shurikens and kunais to get to the path behind the seats. Surveying the damage, I saw none killed thankfully. They were all asleep. A genjutsu. I looked closer at the crowd and saw pink hair moving among the other spectators. _Sakura! Of course, she must've spotted the genjutsu before it had any effect on her._ I dove down next to her, taking cover from the two senseis and their opponents.

"Niwaka-chan?" she said, hands still clasped behind her head. "Where did you come from?"

"Down there," I replied, gesturing to the stadium. "When did Kakashi-sensei get back? I thought he was with Sasuke."

"They both arrived during your match," Sakura told me, ignoring the way my voice sounded. "As soon as Gaara and the others left, Sasuke-kun went after them. Kakashi-sensei and Gai-sensei stayed here to fight the Sand ninja."

Kakashi landed in front of us, blocking a few kunais. "Sakura," he said in his slight monotone. He looked back and his uncovered eye widened slightly in surprise. "And Niwaka apparently. Even better. Sakura, wake up Naruto and Shikamaru, I need you to follow Sasuke and Gaara." Sakura nodded, a determined look on her face. "Niwaka, as for you, I need you to check on the east wall. See what their situation is and then report back to me." I nodded as well, but not without effort. The east wall was where the giant snakes had appeared.

Sakura ran up the stairs to the area behind the seats while I went the opposite direction, about to exit the stands. Looking back, I glimpsed Sakura waking up the two boys and Kakashi performing some kind of summoning technique. Satisfied that they were doing fine, I hopped off the edge of the stadium and headed to the east.

To get there, I had to pass the roof where the Kazekage had taken the Hokage, and I examined the barrier as I hopped from building to building. The ninjas supporting it had protected themselves as well. There was no getting in. I tried to get a closer look inside and was shocked to see that the Kazekage had changed appearance. He had become incredibly pale and younger than before with yellow eyes and long, black hair. I hadn't been watching him for more than a second but a chill crawled across my skin. Something about him was just _wrong_.

I continued onward the east wall, and all I saw was carnage: bodies of ninjas littering the ground, mostly Konoha with some Sand and Sound here and there. There were few ninjas fighting the snake now, most of them gone to the side to hold off the threats that were actually human.

It wasn't hard to see that the village was being overrun. I counted the threats in my head, still trying to find someone who might know anything. _Someone's impersonated the Kazekage and trapped the Hokage, there's a giant snake, Sound and Sand ninja are invading the village in hordes, and Gaara's on the loose._ My mouth tightened into a hard line as I considered the odds. Shikamaru might have been able to figure out our odds of survival, but I was stuck with my uneducated guess of _small_. That figured out, I tried to decide where most of the support was needed. _Gaara may be some kind of sand-handling freak, but he's still just one person. If Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura _and _Shikamaru are following him, then that might be enough to at least hold him off. That's not accounting for anyone in the woods who might be able to interfere. The Hokage's obviously in serious danger, but the ANBU are on it and I doubt there's anything I could do there, if this Orochimaru is anywhere close to the Hokage's level. That leaves the invasion._

_You really think we couldn't help with the Hokage?_ Soushi asked skeptically. _You might not be the best ninja out there, but combined we almost beat Gaara._

_That has to count for something_, Yorukashu added.

_The barriers around him looked strong_, I told my Words grimly. _You all know my attacks aren't powerful enough to break something like that. And I don't have enough technical knowledge or skills to figure out how to bring it down without force. Besides, Kakashi-sensei told me to check on the east wall, so I'm going to do it._

What did Kakashi want me to find out anyway? Well, whatever I _could_ find out, I'd tell him. I jumped up to the wall, keeping an eye out for some kind of authority figure. My search ended almost immediately as I spotted a lone ninja on top of one of the taller houses, shouting orders at a small cloud of other jounins who were attacking the snakes. As I got closer, I recognized the scars on his face, and lightly hopped next to him, looking at anything but the monsters by the wall.

"Ibiki-sensei?" I asked, bowing my head. It was usually right to give these jounin big guys the proper respect, and I didn't want someone as serious as him smacking me around later.

He turned, raising an eyebrow when he saw me, presumable because of my stylish, new collage of Words. "I presume you have something to tell me?" Deflecting a kunai from the opposite side (without even looking), Ibiki gestured me to come closer.

"Not exactly, sir," I said. I was finally getting used to the way I talked with the Completed Word. Kusari's rumbling voice did feel odd, though, and made my throat vibrate too much. I meant to give him a what-for later. "Kakashi-sensei sent me to find out the situation."

"What does it look like to you?" he asked, throwing a Sand ninja that had just attacked him over his shoulder. I could see that nothing caught this guy off guard. What I would give to have his nerves. "Tell him we've got at least two hundred ninjas coming in through the wall, and from the way they're spreading, they'll overrun Konoha in less than an hour. Maybe more, if we're lucky. The snakes are the biggest problem though. They're leveling everything in sight and putting any jounin who fights them out of commission."

"I see," I muttered. "I'm not sure what Kakashi-sensei plans to do with this, but I'll make sure to tell him."

I swiveled, ready to leap up to the next roof, but Ibiki called after me. "What's happened down at the stadium?" he asked, though as if he was afraid to hear the answer.

I sighed, but faced him again, feeling tired. "Gaara and the other Sand genins are fleeing through the forest, and the Hokage's trapped in some kind of barrier with Orochimaru." The name felt like poison on my tongue, though I still couldn't figure out where I'd heard it.

Ibiki nodded wearily and continued to stem the tide of enemy ninjas. I felt bad to leave him there. _I could do some good here,_ I said to the Words angrily. _I still have some chakra left. Enough to dismember a few Sand and Sound. And I am so in the mood for a good dismemberment._

_I hate to be the one who wrecks your plans_, Sekitan said, _but you_ are _still under Kakashi-sensei's orders. He's counting on you to bring back a report._

I bit my lip, knowing that Sekitan was right. _Orders are stupid,_ I retorted. _But Kakashi-sensei's a solid person, I think. If I have to listen to someone other than Asuma, I'd rather it be him. Anyway, there's the stadium. I wonder how he and Gai-sensei are doing._

_Probably kicking someone's ass_, Kusari mused wistfully. _What we should be doing right now._

_Don't worry, Kusari, _I said, sounding as sweet as I could. _Once we're out of here, I'll give you an ass-kicking you'll never believe._

_And she'll do it, too_, Soushi told Kusari. I didn't have to be in the same mind as him to know he was grumbling. For the record, I didn't actually plan on fighting him; I just threaten people when bad things are happening. I mean, three giant snakes, your village is getting razed, who wouldn't be a little pissed off? It's no great surprise that I was.

I leapt down to the stands of the arena just in time to kick one of the Sound ninja in the chest. He went flying into one of the seats and I quickly trapped him in a genjutsu before he could even think about countering me. I felt a shift in my chakra, and I knew I was running out. The Completed Word might give me back all my energy, but I could only guess that keeping it in effect drained me pretty fast. Any technique this special had to have a drawback, and since I'd already used so much of my chakra fighting Gaara, I had barely any left.

"Niwaka, duck!" I swung around just in time to see a swarm of shurikens headed straight for my face, and dropped to the ground. Their blades sliced into the wall behind me and I glanced around, flinching. "Cutting it a little close?" Gai flashed his customary grin, dusting his hands off; several Sand ninja lay unconscious on the ground behind him.

"It's what I do," I said dryly. "Where's Kakashi-sensei?"

"Shoving the joy of youth into my face," Gai said, sounding vexed. "But he's on the other side of the stands. Just stay low, Niwaka, and out of the way. Kakashi may want you to run another errand, and you can't do that if you get a kunai in the back."

"Thanks Gai-sensei," I said respectfully. _Yes, thank you for promoting me from genin to errand girl. I'm so honored that I can't think straight._

_Or maybe that's just because you're exhausted_, Soushi suggested. _I'm surprised you haven't passed out yet. You're channeling your chakra through four different people and then through yourself_ again_. It must take a toll sometime._

_Alright, then I promise I'll sleep tonight._ I glimpsed Kakashi's dark silver hair from over the seats of sleeping people, and bent down to crawl between the rows of benches. _As soon as this whole thing's over, and assuming I'm not dead. Might be a long shot, but we'll jump that fence when we come to it._

Kneeling next to one of the sleeping spectator's legs, I sent out a quiet 'pst' to Kakashi who spotted me out of the corner of his eye. "So? Did you check the situation?"

I relayed my information, what little I had at least, and when I was done, Kakashi told me to help out at the wall, as I'd hoped. I wanted to get out of the Completed Word before I lost all of my chakra, but it occurred to me that if I tried to use my scroll, I might wind up knocked out on the ground somewhere. Instead, I went to one of the wings that lead to the stands, and thought for a minute. Where were the other genins? Shikamaru, Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto were accounted for. I'd seen Ino in the stands earlier, next to Sakura, and Chouji must've been there as well. Tenten too, I guessed, though I wasn't too concerned with her. Kiba and Hinata should be somewhere in the vicinity, Neji was recovering from his match, or at least that's what I thought, and Shino… Who knew where Shino could be?

It was better if I had backup, better than letting someone else get to them first. I woke Ino and Chouji first, dodging Kakashi and the Sand ninja all the while, then brought them back to one of the side wings. Quickly, I explained the situation, but not so quickly that they missed the point.

"So we're fighting at the wall?" Chouji asked nervously. "Where all those shinobi are? Why didn't you just leave me asleep?" His voice was properly mournful for such a tall order, but I was still going to scold him.

Ino beat me to it, however, and said matter-of-factly, "Don't be such a coward, Chouji. It's not a big turn-on for girls."

"Like I care," he muttered, but quietly enough so that Ino couldn't hear him.

"Don't worry, Chouji," I said, patting his shoulder. "It won't just be the three of us, not if I can help it. I've got some ideas, but you'll have to trust me on this." Ino opened her mouth to argue, but must have thought better of it. I assumed she hadn't thought of anything we could do. Chouji prompted me with a nod, so I took a deep breath and continued. "First, we need the others, and by that I mean _all_ of them. I'm pretty sure Hinata and Kiba came together, but I haven't been able to find them in the stands. Shino might be somewhere, though he also could be long gone. Tenten should be in here, but I wasn't looking very hard. And then Neji's in the wing down the stairs, I think."

"I'll look for Hinata and Kiba," Ino said immediately.

I nodded. "Don't engage in open combat yet, if you can help it. Kakashi-sensei and Gai-sensei will take care of the ninja in the stands. But if one notices you, then do whatever you have to."

"I'll see if I can find Shino and Tenten," Chouji declared confidently.

"Good, good," I murmured. Somehow, I knew I'd be the one to fetch Neji; why would Ino or Chouji want to even go near a jerk like him? "Well, we know what we're doing now. Meet back here when you're done, but don't take too long looking. If you can't get them in fifteen minutes, then just come back. We'll figure it out from there. Ready?" They met my eyes with determined silence and I grinned. "Let's get going."

We broke apart, each going in our respective directions, Ino and Chouji toward the stands and I toward the stairs. It didn't take me long to find Neji's recovery room. I was surprised he hadn't left with all the commotion. But when I entered, I noticed the shades had been pulled down and the lights turned off. As for Neji himself, I was sleeping in a hospital-type bed, wounds from his match with Naruto bandaged. I considered him for a moment. _Do you think he's in good enough condition to fight?_ I asked the Words. _I might get him killed if I force him into this fight._

_If you don't, you might all be killed_, Kusari said bluntly.

_Don't you mean _we, _you boar? _Sekitan asked, yawning.

_Niwaka, Sekitan's insulting me!_

_Shut up, both of you!_ I ordered irritably. Man, I'm a monster when I'm exhausted. Either that, or impending doom just puts me on the cranky side. _His Byakugan could be useful, assuming he has enough chakra to use it. And his match has been over a while._ Mind made up, I grabbed his arm and shook it as gently as I knew how.

Neji's eyes opened almost immediately and widened in shock as they met mine. I kept forgetting what I looked like, which wasn't exactly normal. "Who are you?" he asked, sounding slightly uncertain. He probably had recognized me somewhat, though not enough to know who it was behind this new face.

"Nyuushin Niwaka," I told him stiffly. "Don't ask about the look, that's a story for another day. Can you move?"

"Well enough." Neji threw off his covers, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "What's going on?"

"Well, we're under siege," I said casually. "And since dying isn't on my to-do list for today, we're gathering all the ninja we can and fighting back. Feel like joining? It'll be a real party."

"Is it Sunagakure?" he asked calmly, grabbing several kunais and shurikens from the bedside table.

"And the Sound." I rubbed the back of my head, trying to ignore the migraine that was growing more intense as I kept up the Completed Word. "It's pandemonium out there, and our jounins are having trouble just staying alive."

Neji continued to prepare himself, sticking weapons wherever he could in his pockets and the sheath on his leg. "Why did you bother with me?" he asked coolly.

I was too tired to answer with some question like that. "You may be a pompous ass, but you're a good ninja," I snapped. "You're better than most genins and you're _certainly_ better than me." I may have been angry, but it was still a compliment in an offhand sort of way. "Whether or not I want to admit it, we need you to help, and it looks like it doesn't matter whether I want to or not since I just did." He just gave me an expression that clearly told me he thought I was insane. For a moment, I felt bad though, since I _was_ being a _smidge_ unfair. "Sorry," I said quietly. "It's just… Crazy day…" I gave Neji an apologetic look.

"Can't really blame you," he replied, shoving one last kunai into his sheath. "We've both had interesting days."

_Me? Apologizing to him? Now I know I've gone mad._ We both ascended the steps to wait in the area where we were all supposed to meet.

In only a moment, Ino showed up, helping Kiba support Hinata, who was breathing heavily. I rushed over to her immediately. "What happened?" I asked Kiba quickly.

"It looked like her injuries from the other day just started acting up," he told me, sending a hateful glare at Neji, who just ignored the other genin pointedly.

"I'm fine," Hinata insisted. A dribble of blood ran down the side of her mouth and I took her hand in mine.

"Hinata, you don't have to come with us. Do you realize what you'd be getting into?"

"Hai," she said, determination evident on her face.

Kiba looked about ready to explode. "Niwaka-san, you're _letting_ her come with us?" he nearly shouted. "She's in no condition to fight!"

"It's her choice," Neji said suddenly. The rest of us turned to stare at him. He hadn't even lifted his head, and was fixing all of his clothing (and weapons) methodically.

"Neji's right," I said grudgingly. "Hinata, are you sure you want to come?" She nodded, eyebrows knit together in a concentrated frown. At that moment, Chouji appeared with Tenten, but no Shino, and without any delay, we were off.

Things at the wall were as I'd left them, the snakes continuing to wreak havoc as they tore through buildings and people alike. I don't think Ibiki noticed the seven of us as we descended into the chaotic streets. Tenten and Neji broke off from us almost as soon as we arrived and headed toward the snakes, while the rest of us clashed with the flow of Sound ninja coming through from the hole in the wall.

"Hinata, you should stay clear of the fighting," I told her as the first shinobi rushed at me, forming seals I didn't recognize. "But you can still help me a lot." She looked disappointed, but nodded nonetheless. "Get on top of that building over there, and use your Byakugan to scan the streets. Tell us what you see, alright?" Hinata need no further telling, and jumped straight up to the roof, veins bulging at her temples as she called forth her Byakugan.

The ninja finished forming the seals before I could get to him and an earsplitting whistle filled the air, forcing me to cover my ears and fall to my knees. The sound was unbearable for a minute before it was suddenly cut off. Glancing up, I saw Chouji, giant and round, rolling off of the Sound ninja and looking quite satisfied with himself.

Kiba, meanwhile, was using his Gatsuuga on a different Sound ninja as Akamaru (in Kiba form) held up Ino, who had transferred her mind to yet another ninja. I myself was faced with a woman, her hands both equipped with some kind of hooked weapons. Without thinking, I drew Kusari's katanas. Then I realized it must have been his conscious taking over my actions. For once, I didn't argue and lifted them close to me. It took a little effort, though. It was as if Kusari and I were losing our synchronicity and beginning to drift apart.

"_Niwaka, on your left!_" Hinata shouted. I turned just in time to see what must have been an entire platoon of Sound ninja heading straight for me.

"Shadow Replication," I muttered, trying to remember how Soushi formed the seals. "Shadow Replication, come on!" It was no use, my hands were clumsily trying, but Soushi's technique had disappeared from my awareness. I tried Sekitan's Blazing Whip, then Both of Yorukashu's but that effortlessness I'd had while fighting Gaara was gone, as was the strength to wield the katanas. They dropped to the ground, and I staggered, waiting for the Sound to ambush me.

The ambush never came, though, on account of the enormous toad that appeared seconds later, crushing the ninjas, most of the houses around, and one of the snakes. I didn't have the strength to look up, but someone, a voice I didn't recognize, cried, "It's one of the Sannin! It's Jiraiya!"

_Sannin? _I wondered, forgetting what the word meant. _What the hell's a Sannin?_ I expected one of my Words to answer, but then remembered we were being torn apart. Did I still have their combined appearances? Their voices? Vaguely, I saw the others with me fighting off one of the giant snake heads, with not much success. With a strain, I tried to stand up, but only made it onto my knees. My body wouldn't take me any further.

I felt a hand on my back and swung my arm around faster than I thought I could, catching my assailant full in the face. Unfortunately, it turned out my assailant was Shikamaru. He rubbed his nose reproachfully and, taken over by relief, I let myself fall on the ground.

"Don't do that!" he said, trying to pick me up, one arm under my shoulders, the other behind my knees. "You could at least make an attempt at standing!"

"Tried already," I mumbled into the dirt. "This is comfier."

He groaned and I thought I heard a 'troublesome' under his breath, before he tried to lift me. To my great surprise, he actually succeeded in getting me up and leaning me against a bench that hadn't been crushed yet. My eyelids fluttered closed for a moment, but I held them open as well as I could. "How low's your chakra?" Shikamaru demanded.

"Pretty damn low," I said, and coughed, suddenly noticing how dry my throat was. "Did you take care of Gaara?"

"No, thankfully," he answered, sounding quite relieved. "I stayed behind to distract a platoon that was following us. They would have killed me, if it wasn't for Asuma."

"You big idiot," I said, but in an affectionate kind of way. "So it's just Naruto and Sakura now?"

"And Pakkun," Shikamaru said. "Kakashi's dog," he explained when he saw my confused expression.

"Right. Take me over there, will you?"

"Are you _insane_?" he yelled, almost making me jump. "Take you over there? With _Gaara_?"

"Nothing bad's going to happen," I stated firmly. "Today's not the day I die, get crippled for life, or anything else. I can tell."

"Yeah, you said that before," he murmured to himself. "But I won't carry you."

"You'll help me get there, though?" I asked. "Won't you?"

Shikamaru sighed once, and I saw his eyes flicker toward the clouds above. "Sure," he replied. "Sure."

I slowly pushed myself upward, using the bench as a crutch, with Shikamaru supporting me on my other side. We moved as quickly as we could, and Kiba followed us for a few minutes, watching our backs until we got out of the "danger zone". We left the village soon afterward, Shikamaru leaping through the trees, with me nearly being carried.

"What do you plan on doing once you get there?" Shikamaru asked warily, as we went. I didn't know what he was following, but he seemed to know where to go. "You can't fight, not like this."

"I can't fight," I agreed. "But no one seems to appreciate the usefulness of a stern talking to."

"You're going to scold him?" Shikamaru's voice was filled with so much skepticism and disbelief that I almost saw how crazy I must've been. "Niwaka, what's wrong with you? You think you can beat Gaara by talking to him?"

"Shikamaru, you know as well as I do that he's hypersensitive to certain topics." My mind was still foggy, but I definitely remembered my reasoning. "Knowing Naruto, he'd say something that would just make everything worse, and Sasuke's not much different. Sakura… Smart girl, but lacking in common sense. Put together, I think Team 7 is a recipe for disaster."

"But Niwaka," Shikamaru argued, "honestly, what do you think you could say to him?"

"I'll figure it out when I get there," I said stubbornly.

Shikamaru hit his forehead with a fist. "We're all doomed, we're all doomed, we're all doomed," he muttered, sounding miserable.

"That's the spirit," I told him cheerfully.

A spurt of motion burst out of the trees maybe three miles away and I glanced upward. Something large, red, and suspiciously scaly was sitting in the middle of the forest, across from another giant creature, this one tan and bearing a huge, layered tail.

"You can't be serious," Shikamaru said, and then cursed for good measure. "You think you'll be able to talk to that thing?" he pointed at the tan monster.

Suddenly, my plan didn't seem too smart. Then again, in retrospect, my plan was pretty stupid. "I was counting on him being smaller and more human-shaped," I admitted with a rueful smile.

Suddenly, I glimpsed someone atop the large slimy thing (which I'd realized was a toad very similar to the one that had appeared in Konoha) and gasped. "That's Naruto!" I told Shikamaru who looked up in surprise. If I hadn't been stumped before, then I was now. _What in the name of all that is holy is going on?_

"I'm not going anywhere near them," Shikamaru said stubbornly and stopped on one of the branches. "We're waiting until they're done, got it? I'm not stepping into a deathtrap like that and neither are you."

"I'm okay with that," I said, eyeing the two giants. We stood in that tree for what seemed an eternity, watching the toad and the other thing (I personally thought it looked like a big, fat raccoon) fight viciously. The way things were going, I didn't expect the fight to be over soon, but then the toad suddenly vanished, replaced by a vast, nine-tailed fox. Shikamaru gasped and seemed rooted to the spot. Confusion finally gave way to recognition as I realized that that must be the Kyuubi. Sensing with what little chakra I had left, I could tell that it wasn't the real fox; otherwise I'd have been able to see an even more monstrous chakra than I was. No, that was the toad in a different form.

Everything went too fast for me to keep up with from there. The fox and the raccoon-thing fought, fought, and fought some more until the toad finally returned to its original shape. I couldn't see what Naruto was doing, but I knew something must have happened when the tan creature disappeared, melted away. _Is it… made of sand?_ I thought incredulously. Then I saw a body drop from where the thing's head had been only moments before. That must have been Gaara. It wasn't long until the toad left as well, in a large puff of smoke.

"Shikamaru?" I asked.

"I'll do it, but I won't be happy about it," he told me grumpily. "Do you know how troublesome you are?"

"I've been told. Come on, it's not too far."

By the time we reached Naruto and Gaara, the two were lying on the ground on opposite sides of a clearing, each sporting a stain of blood on his forehead. Suddenly. I realized why I'd come: Gaara wasn't going to be here for much longer. I don't know how I knew, but it was one of those things that you can just feel for some reason. And, call me a little selfish, I wanted to be the last thing Gaara saw when he left (maybe just to confuse him, maybe to show him that things between us weren't over). I knew Naruto must have given him some hell of a farewell, but I had my own to hand out. It's a good thing I like to improvise, because I had no idea what I was going to say.

I turned to Shikamaru slowly. "You want to go check on Naruto?" I asked. He furrowed his brow and frowned at me. "Come on, he's drained," I said in reply to Shikamaru's silent statement. I couldn't deny that I was a _little_ happy that he was being so protective of me. Guess I'm a sucker for chivalry. God, I hate myself sometimes. "Go get that Naruto on his feet. I don't think dirt compliments his hair too well."

Shikamaru gave me another you're-completely-insane-and-I-don't-understand-you look, but I left him there as I limped over to Gaara. Carefully, I knelt beside him, wincing at the fatigue in my legs and almost tilting over on my side. (If I wound down there, I don't think I'd have ever been able to get up again.) "Having fun down there?" I asked him quietly.

Gaara looked straight past me and up at the sky, as if oblivious. "Why aren't you laughing?" He sounded so defeated; I already did feel pity for him, but he almost set me over the edge onto the side of feeling genuinely sorry.

"Why would I be laughing?" I asked. _Am I really that mean? I'll have to ask Shikamaru later._

"I've been defeated," he said as if it were that simple. "You wanted that to happen, right?" He still wasn't look at me, and it made me slightly uncomfortable. "I see you laugh a lot. So why aren't you?"

"I don't laugh when people are in pain," I answered, a little indignantly. "Okay, maybe if Sasuke fell down a flight of stairs I might let out a chuckle or two, but only then." It wasn't till then that I noticed that Sasuke had appeared next to Shikamaru and Naruto. I blushed. "Anyway, that's not my point." I don't think he was paying attention in the slightest, but I didn't care anymore. "You're lost," I tried to explain. "You think that killing people is going to somehow make your life better?" His eyes widened at that, and he actually looked at me as if he wanted to strangle me then and there, just for mentioning it. "It's lonely, isn't it? I just want to see you find where you belong." I smiled at him, and he turned his head the other way. I was definitely enjoying his confusion a little too much. At that moment, Temari and Kankuro landed behind Gaara, looking battered but irritable. "Good luck," I muttered. I tried to get up (but couldn't) and then sat there.

Kankuro grabbed the back of my hair, pulling my head back. "This is the last time you get in our way," he hissed as Temari started toward the boys. I sighed, just waiting, waiting…

"It's over," I heard Gaara say as he lay there. "Let her go, Kankuro. We're done."

Face shocked, Kankuro turned, jerking my neck and then glanced at Temari. Hesitatingly, he nodded and released my hair. Within seconds, the three of them were gone beyond the trees and I finally let myself pass out.

* * *

The first news I heard upon waking up was that the people of Konoha had successfully broken the Sand and Sound's assault. The second was that the Hokage was dead. Accordingly, the first time I set foot out of the hospital was to attend his funeral. Chouji met me outside my room after I'd changed into a black dress, and together we made our way down to the ceremony in silence.

Clouds crawled across the sky that morning, turning the atmosphere a dull grey. The others were all beginning to gather as well, and I took a spot between Hinata and Chouji as the funeral began. It was unreal somehow. I hadn't been there for too long at all, and the Hokage was dead? I tried to make some sense out of everything, but all I could do was stare up at the clouds. One thing that I could figure out was that it always rained at funerals. Always. Why was that? Rain was always associated with sadness, but I had never understood why. I enjoyed rain normally, but today, I found myself resenting it.

One by one, we laid our white flowers on a table beneath the Hokage's picture, paying our final respects to him. I confess as I let mine fall out of my hand, I felt like an outsider in Konoha. These people had known him, loved him. I didn't feel as if I could mourn him as properly, but I felt such a surge of respect for the old man. He'd taken me in as one of his own, and now I wouldn't be able to serve his village while he was alive. I couldn't repay his kindnesses.

For the first time in months, I legitimately cried. I didn't start until I'd made it back to the rest of the attendees. As soon as the first tear slid down my cheek, raindrops began to sprinkle down on the ground, as if the sky was crying with me. I took Chouji's hand as they lifted the Hokage's coffin down into the ground, and he hugged me close. A moment later, I felt Hinata link her arm through mine, and the three of us stood, saying goodbye to Sarutobi Hiruzen for the last time.

* * *

**Alright, so there you have it. Now, before I release any others, I just want to let you know that Niwaka's story only parallels that of Naruto for so long. Actually, the split begins in a few chapters, so just sit tight and you'll find out what the **_**real **_**story behind her is. Basically I wanted to fit her into the Konoha community before I set her on her own path. Don't worry though, all in due time. GO TEAM!**


	12. Revelations

**Well, I did pretty well getting this one out considering I'm not even on Spring Break yet and I actually did all of my homework (not all of it at home...). It's a normal length chapter. If that hurts you deeply, I apologize. Um. Other than that, I really have nothing to say. Oh, wait, I do. This chapter is pretty bipolar. It's that way for a reason though. It changes mood very quickly, and I want you to know that I meant it to be that abrupt. It **_**is **_**weird, but it'll make sense later. So... Yeah. Also, I'm kind of tired so my energetic sarcasm is quite low. There's more in the chapter though. Big thanks to the sentences that I wrote before today. Cue applause.**

**Ryu-Kazuki - Wow, I don't think I've gotten that many compliments in quite a while, and they're greatly appreciated! It's cool that you decided to add it to your C2. I'm so proud I may be in danger of getting a swelled head, which would be bad, but in a good sort of way. I'll be sure to look into **_**your **_**fanfictions and the other ones in the C2, though I'm not sure if I'll ever write another myself. I've got a lot of different projects going, but if I ever feel courageous enough to take on another one, I'll definitely try.**

**roseandthorns19 - (First off, I love how you're pretty much the only person who criticizes me. Thanks so much for keeping me grounded.) Alright, you had two points I believe, first about why Niwaka didn't use genjutsu on Gaara? Okay, here goes. I've always been really confused about genjutsu in general, but I remember seeing in one of the episodes that an experienced ninja can easily dispel them (unless they're up against an equally/more experienced ninja). So, I figured that if a person could dispel genjutsu that easily, the only reason they'd stay in one was if they could use it to defeat their opponent. With Niwaka, she knows that Gaara's very powerful. Her genjutsu's pretty good, but not great, so if she used it on Gaara, he'd probably be able to dispel it. She might have tried using that first, but Niwaka didn't know whether Gaara had genjutsu or not. Because he's got such good physical techniques, she didn't want to risk his genjutsu being as good as his ninjutsu. If it was, he would have won. I dunno if that makes any sense? If it doesn't then we'll just call it a plot-hole and say I'm terrible at reasoning. (Also, I know he's mentally unstable, but I think that would make his genjutsu much scarier if he had it...)**

**And the other one was Gaara and Niwaka's relationship, right? Aside from reasoning, I'm also terrible with representing what I'm trying to... represent... (Case in point.) Yeah, I tried to explain what Niwaka's thoughts are about him in the beginning of this chapter, mostly for your benefit. Hopefully, she at least will make a little bit more sense. Gaara, though, I always have trouble writing just because he's a freakin' psychopath. I thought I **_**did **_**make him angry when she was talking to him in the times before, but I'd have to double check on that. In last chapter though, I know he didn't **_**say **_**anything angry, but I think I put in something about him wanting to strangle her or along the lines of that, I don't know. I didn't want him to feel as if she understood him or her to feel that way either. Again, just me being bad at writing what I mean. I do want them to have a kind of connection. Not the "I feel your pain" kind because then Niwaka would have to be all scary and insane which would just... not work... I can't really explain the connection I want them to have, (that would make me coherent, and then the world would have to end) but I understand that I pretty much messed up their interactions. If you want me to fix it, I swear I will, but you might need to give me a little advice on how. So, again, sorry!**

**Wow, I went on forever with that, didn't I? Anyway, here's the actual chapter.**

* * *

_Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ I grimaced down at the blot of ink that had landed on my dress and placed my brush down on its stand. For quite some time, I stared at that black dot as if it was the most interesting specimen that I'd ever seen. Absurdly, I wanted to press my fingers against the ink and smear it with all my might, just to see how far and deep I could spread it. To make it as permanent as possible. I almost did, holding my thumb poised above the shiny blot, but then dropped my hand with a small sigh. Glancing over at my uncompleted drawing I tossed it onto the other side of my bed. _Doesn't even look like Soratsume_, I thought woefully.

I suppose I was little off-kilter since the invasion, though I think everyone was. All training had been put on hold while we were reconstructing, but even afterward, Asuma gave us a break. He'd stopped smoking, which was an even greater shock. Not that I was too torn up about that; even though I'd been out of the hospital for while, my chakra was still acting odd. I could go about my normal activities, calling out my Warriors when I felt like it, but sometimes I wasn't even able to get chakra out at all. I felt as if a snake had wrapped itself around me and loosened up only when it saw fit.

More than anything, I was feeling the fool. I couldn't explain it too well, but when I'd used the Completed Word, something had messed with me head. At least that was what I hoped. I hadn't noticed when I was subjected to it, but after going through the events in my head, I'd realized that my technique had changed me. Not cataclysmic changes, not that serious. But either way, I didn't like it at all. Some of what I remembered made me cringe. I'd been so… angry. And in a way that I wasn't comfortable with. I'd gotten better. I'd gotten mellower before I passed out, but that was a problem in itself. I don't mellow out. Ever.

As for Gaara… Was there anyone in the world who felt as embarrassed as I did? I'd _presumed_ to know everything about him! I'd _patronized_ him and for that I felt an even bigger fool. What had I been thinking? It might have been my mellowness that threw me off, but how did I let my pity carry me away like that? I mean, it was pretty obvious that 1) Gaara was a homicidal maniac and 2) he had some serious issues to work out. Come on, he'd told us himself that he 'exists to kill people.' _And I patronized him then too,_ I realized, suddenly feeling like everything had drained out of me._ I remember, I told him he was… Oh, why hasn't someone murdered me yet?_

It was about that time I finally came to grips with all of my flaws. They're too numerous to list, but by coming up with those, I also figured out my virtues. Or virtue. I could only think of one, and that's that I care. I don't give a flying duck who someone is or what they've done, I can usually find something redeeming about them. Even Sasuke and Neji, though I try not to show it (as many people know). You'd think a virtue would be some kind of solid, good thing with no drawbacks, but then you'd be wrong. My problem is that I care too much. I'm nosy, and that's usually where I find myself in trouble. I guess I just thought of Gaara as a challenge, someone I could fix. I admit, I do get a little crazy about things like that—I don't hesitate to call it an obsession. But from there on out, I was going to try to care less. I hoped I never saw Gaara ever again.

I let myself fall onto my bed, resting my head on my pillow and sucking in my cheek. _Maybe I should take a walk tonight. It's been a few days since I was out last._ I'd been staying in my room for the past week or so, not wanting to run into anyone. Embarrassed. I was that, alright. I think Shikamaru and Chouji understood though, and had seen fit to leave me alone, something that I was continually grateful for. I only hoped I could work up the courage to apologize for avoiding them.

Suddenly, I sat up on my bed and whacked myself in the head hard. "What am I doing?" I asked out loud. "I've been sitting alone in my room feeling sorry for myself for _two_ _weeks_." I continued to hit myself for at least another minute before getting to my feet and tying up my hair. As I stared in the mirror, I gave myself a good, long, chastising look. I seemed exactly the same as when I'd left Umougakure. Eyes. Hair. Face. Nose. They were all there. I was no different, so why should I act like it? So I screwed up, fine. I felt bad, fine. But in that short moment I realized that I could live with it. "To hell with everything. I'm me." And it felt good to say it.

I left my room, almost skipping, I felt so free. Is it weird to have an epiphany? I think it's the oddest thing I've ever experienced. Here I am, just thinking, thinking, and out of nowhere, you're thinking something completely different. What is it that inspires something like that? It must be something powerful, the way it shoves everything out of the picture so that small people like us can see what really matters.

I'd hardly gotten to the next street before I ran into Shikamaru. Even I was surprised when I tackled him with a full-force hug. Steadying himself on his feet, it seemed like he had no idea what to do and awkwardly patted my back. "Are you… sane?" he asked as if dreading the answer.

"I'm hugging you," I said. "And don't try to stop me."

"As much as I'm honored, you're crushing me," he wheezed.

I let go of him, but not after one last squeeze, and beamed at him, just enjoying the fact that I was happy and he was there to see it. "Do you want to go get ramen? I swear I'll pay for everything." I glanced around at the village excitedly, feeling like I'd never really seen it before. And to think I'd been inside minutes before, wondering why I wasn't dead.

"You're too cheerful," Shikamaru said flatly. "What's wrong with you?"

"Oh, yes, I forgot," I said thoughtfully. "My role in life is to offer sarcasm and then be an easy target for others' ridicule. Well, if I've quit that job, I suppose I can take up something different."

Shikamaru finally broke down and grinned. "Why bother when you're so good at the first thing?"

"I was wondering that," I said. "But then I stopped because I remembered I was hungry. Ramen, right? That's what we were discussing?" I gave Shikamaru a wide grin and nodded convincingly.

He shrugged. "As long as you're paying, Niwaka, ramen sounds good."

"About the whole dinner thing I talked to you about before…"

I blinked at Shikamaru, sipping the leftover broth from my ramen dish. "Yeah?"

"Can you do it tomorrow night?" he asked, folding his arms behind his head and looking up at the ceiling. "My dad's been pestering me since—" He paused. "—since the main matches."

"Yeah, tomorrow night's fine," I told him (assuming my good mood would last that long; I hoped beyond hope that it wasn't just some kind of feminine mood swing). "Do I have to bring anything?"

"Not really," he answered. "Just some extra patience. I say they're troublesome, but that's a complete lie." He looked at me with his half-closed eyes, and said, "They're much worse."

I shook my head, laughing. "You're really setting me up for a good time, aren't you?" I patted his shoulder seriously. "Don't worry, I'll try not to have fun in case it ends the world." It suddenly occurred to me that I should have had ramen with Shikamaru much earlier. It sounds silly, but I felt so stable around him. Like if I ever stepped over the edge, he'd be able to catch me and stand me back up. Shikamaru was my net. Maybe I'd be able to do the same for him. Like a net-fixer if he ever got torn. I brightened at the concept, despite how awful the metaphor was. I'm not good with poetics.

"We make a good team," I said, head still full of nets and cliffs. "You and me and Chouji. Why isn't he invited to this thing?"

"Would you want to make dinner for anyone in the Akimichi family?" Shikamaru asked. "Honestly, I'd like to know."

I flinched, remembering the last time we'd taken Chouji out for barbeque. I think Asuma was still paying that bill. "Point taken. Oh, look! The sun's setting!" I checked to make sure Shikamaru had finished eating and that we'd paid before grabbing his arm and tugging him out from under Ichiraku's awning.

"Niwaka," he protested, despite the fact that he wasn't struggling much at all.

"Come on, Shikamaru, since when have you watched a sunset as great as this one?" I spread my arm out toward the sky, streaming every shade of pink, red, and orange that I could imagine.

Shikamaru loosened my grip on his arm and pulled me to a slower pace. "Actually, there was one a lot like this yesterday," he informed me dryly. "And there were more clouds yesterday too."

"But yesterday, you didn't have me to keep you company," I declared, settling into his stride rather impatiently. "Just think. Instead of sitting all alone up on some dreary hill somewhere, we can sit on the hill together and it'll be much less dreary.

Shikamaru groaned loudly and said, "But Niwaka, I _like_ being alone."

"And I've left you alone for over a week. As everyone knows, if you let an introvert—let's take you, for example—be alone for too long, they lose the ability to speak and also grow up to shun all of humanity." I wasn't facing Shikamaru, but I heard the sound of his hand slapping his forehead. It was just so much fun teasing him, I couldn't help it. "Shikamaru, I'm just kidding. If you really want me to go, I'll go." We kept walking, though Shikamaru was clearly searching for something to say. "Well?"

Finally, he said, "You're just not leaving me any breathing room, aren't you?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"If I say go away, you're going to pout. And don't say you won't," he added quickly, "because we both know you will. And if I say you _shouldn't_ go, then you get that smug smile. See, you're doing it right now!" It was true. My grin at that moment was so smug. But I wiped it off my face as soon as he said that and instead gave him a 'who, me?' look. "You live for this sort of stuff, don't you?"

"Depends on the day," I answered. "Consider it payback for all the jokes aimed at me." I glanced over at him with a small smirk. "I'm not the _only_ person who reacts, you know."

After a pause, Shikamaru smiled too. "I asked for that, didn't I?"

"Only a little."

He shrugged. "Alright, Niwaka, you can tag along. Don't expect too much conversation though. I like my sunsets quiet."

"I wouldn't take them any other way," I assured him.

* * *

Training started again the next morning, and Chouji, Shikamaru, and I were not ready to start waking up _that_ early again. Asuma had shown up the evening before and told Shikamaru and me that we'd gone long enough without practicing. Shikamaru had at least been helping with the reconstruction, so he wasn't nearly as unfit as I was. A surprise to all of us was that Chouji had been training on his own throughout the entire reconstruction while also helping rebuild the houses near the east wall. Well, _I_ was sufficiently impressed and that was when I decided I would never have a battle of wills with Chouji. Undoubtedly, he'd win.

I stumbled onto the training grounds that morning, yawning like I'd never yawned before. Chouji was already there, one of his arms grown to twice the size of his body. I blinked, turned my head to the side, and then turned to him again. I stood there, nodding slowly, thinking I'd fallen asleep on the way out of my room. _I'll wake up any minute_, I thought tiredly. _Any minute and then Chouji's arms will be nice…. and… arm-sized…_I almost did fall asleep then before Asuma clapped his huge hand on my shoulder and said, "Good morning, Niwaka!"

I looked up at him with a kind of dazed sense of recognition. "Right," I muttered sleepily. "Asuma-sensei." I shook my head as if that would wake me up, and to my surprise, it helped a little. "What are we doing today?" I asked, stifling another yawn.

"Well, I think it's been a while since we had a good warm up." Asuma turned his head as Shikamaru shuffled into our clearing. "Nice of you to join us, Shikamaru! Let's start out with two circuits around the river, and if I see any of you walking, that means an extra one-hundred push-ups." Asuma paused, thinking. "And then fifty squats."

Chouji's arm shrunk back to normal size and walked over; as soon as he did, Shikamaru pretty much collapsed onto his friend's shoulder. I would never tell them, but they were the most adorable thing I ever saw, and that even beats out Akamaru.

"Two circuits," Asuma reminded us. We trudged over to our normal starting line, between two tree stumps and sent doleful glances at one another before starting down the river.

We trained from dawn till dusk, and that's no exaggeration. After we'd finished running, Asuma (probably disappointed that he hadn't had to punish us for walking) had us do another circuit, and then had us do _three _hundred push-ups. By the time we were done with our warm up, which Asuma referred to as 'getting into the mood', I was about ready to crawl back into bed and nail myself to the headboard. After that, we did taijutsu for maybe three hours before Asuma felt like moving us on to something else. For once, though, we weren't working on our ninjutsu, and for that I was grateful. If we had, I'd have wound up calling the Written Words out. I didn't want to do that just yet, not after the weirdness of the Completed Word. Maybe he understood that, or maybe he just felt like making us do something different.

Actually, we wound up working on chakra control, something I'd never been good at. Shikamaru, being the genius he is, got the hang of it in less than a minute. After maybe a half an hour, Chouji managed to start climbing up a tree with only his feet. Meanwhile, I was still trying to get my first step to stick to the trunk. Shikamaru was walking along a tree limb with no trouble whatsoever, walking over the edge, underneath and then back to the top. I kept shooting him dirty looks from my position on the ground, as if that would help me somehow.

It took me another hour just to get halfway up the tree, and by that time Shikamaru was over on the river, learning how to stand on water while Chouji practiced tree-walking more slowly so that he had to concentrate his chakra for longer periods of time.

Another hour and a half passed before I got the right idea. "Hey," I said as I stepped onto the bottom of the limb. To my immense pride, I didn't fall. "Hey, Asuma-sensei! I did it! I haven't killed myself!"

"Keep practicing, Niwaka!" Asuma shouted back at me, though he sounded pleased. I was nearly bubbling with excitement, but I copied what Shikamaru had done before, walking over my limb in a loop. Chouji grinned at me as he stood perpendicular to his own tree's trunk, and I waved to him happily. _Finally, I'm getting somewhere. That only took—_

Before I even finished the thought, I was falling. I let out a cry (more of a squawk, really) and barely managed to sling my arm over the branch. For a few moments, I just hung there in silence._ What was that?_ I wondered. _I did everything right that time. My chakra control might not be great, but I had enough to at least hold myself there. Am I having another fluctuation?_

Carefully, I swung my leg over the branch and pulled myself up, still trying to figure out where I'd gone wrong. _Maybe if I just try again…_I began to center the flow of chakra on my feet, and stepped off again. This time, I _did_ hit the ground.

"Ow," I muttered, rubbing my head. "I don't understand!" I fumed at nothing in particular. "Chakra just doesn't disappear like that!"

"Are you okay?" Chouji came running over, flinging a bag of chips out in front of him. "Have some chips! They'll make you feel better."

"Thanks, Chouji," I said, "but I'd rather have an axe so I can cleave that tree in two."

"Now, Niwaka," Asuma began, walking over from the river. "Don't blame the tree. You just need to practice your control more."

"I know it's not the tree's fault," I mumbled, "but I didn't lose concentration or anything. My chakra just _decided_ not to work anymore. It got lazy."

"Are you sure you're not just making excuses?" Asuma asked skeptically. "I understand it's frustrating."

"It's been happening for two weeks, though!" I became aware that I was still lying on the ground and sat up. "I try to do something and then poof, it's all gone. Just…" I flung my arm out as of that's where all of my chakra had escaped to. "…gone."

"And you say this has been happening for a while?" Asuma asked, turning more serious.

"Yeah," I told him. "I figured it was probably some kind of side effect from the Completed Word, but this is a bit much! And I'm definitely not mistaking it for running out of chakra, because I haven't been training long enough for that to happen. Plus, I know it's a lot more painful than this." Shikamaru, who'd made his way over from the river, helped me off of the ground and I smiled gratefully.

Asuma scratched his head, peering at me and obviously contemplating something. "Chouji, Shikamaru, go back to training." They complied, but not without sneaking a few curious looks at me. Something that I've always noticed: if something weird happens you can't go anywhere without someone giving you that over-the-shoulder look. "Why didn't you come to me about this before, Niwaka?"

My eyes widened and I was suddenly paranoid that my chakra's failure would cripple me for life, kill me, or drive me insane. _Wait a second; I never used to care about living. Why am I so scared of dying now?_ I shook off the thought and said, "I didn't realize it was that serious," I said honestly. "Is this not supposed to happen?"

"It can," Asuma said slowly, "but it shouldn't have in your case. I had at least six other ninjas help me with your scroll and we all made assurances that there would be no negative effects. There's a chance we might have made a mistake…" He seemed bewildered at the very idea of messing up anything. "There's a way we can make sure."

"How's that?" I asked, sitting up straighter.

"Well, if your… episodes… were caused by the Completed Word, then that would mean one or more of your Written Words had retained some of the chakra you pulled through the scroll. We discussed how the scroll works, remember? All of your chakra gets separated when you call forth the Words and then gets put back together in a different arrangement to make the Completed Word. If you use the scroll again to get yourself out of the technique, then all of the Words should go back to the way they were. But since you were unconscious, the technique had to wear off, and your chakra may have been distributed unevenly and some may have remained in your Written Words' scrolls. You see?"

I nodded, with a mouthed, 'oh'. "So if I call out each of my Words and then send them back, I should get back all of the chakra that I lost?"

"Precisely," Asuma said. "You should do that as soon as your chakra returns to full power. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this earlier, it didn't occur to me that we'd made a—" He grimaced. "—a mistake."

"No, that's fine," I said. But then a thought suddenly occurred to me. "Hey, Asuma-sensei. What if this thing wasn't caused by the scroll?"

"That's highly unlikely," Asuma said with a small grin.

"But what if it wasn't?" I asked again.

Asuma took a deep breath, and turned to go back to Shikamaru. "Then there will a problem."

* * *

**This chapter's a little fluffy near the middle. Hehe. Speaking of fluff, I remembered that I completely missed Valentine's Day! We all know what that means! And if we don't then it means I'll probably wind up writing a Valentine's special in the middle of the summer or something like that. Hope this wasn't a waste of time, so I'm off!**


	13. Hello

**Hey guys! It's been a while, but I have good news! I'M DONE WRITING MY NOVEL! TAKE THAT SOCIETY! Actually, I've been done since April, but the end of school was harsh and for most of the summer I've been passing through different manias. Anyway, the editing process is annoying, and right now my genius friend is doing the edits, but it requires a lot of active participation which is killing me dead. (Also, it's not as amateur as my fanfic, so don't make any immediate judgments.) Also, I'm teaching myself the guitar in the vain attempt of forming a band, 'cause I've been doing a lot of songwriting lately. And then there's summer reading. Three books, two reading journals, a math packet, some Latin charts and an essay that I have to submit by August 14th. And I'm only halfway through the essay book. Sigh.**

**MOVING ON.**

**About the chapter, it's kind of... You know, I'm not even sure. Just read it, see what you think.**

**P.S. Thank you everyone who has stuck with me. I'm sorry how disjointed these updates are. It's not a hiatus though because I'm always trying to work on it.**

* * *

I stared sourly at the inside of my closet. Maybe if I hadn't been such a slob, I could find a set of clothes that was washed, unstained by ink, and not crumpled on the floor. Digging through a pile on the floor, I threw a green zipper dress over onto a growing pile of clothing. The next item, a blue shirt, was torn on one of the sleeves and covered in dirt. _Why haven't I thrown this out yet?_ I wondered vaguely. As I sifted through everything, I grouped together all of the clothing I'd ruined and been too distracted to get rid of. Then, I remembered that this was not the time for closet-cleaning. I was supposed to show up at Shikamaru's house in a half an hour. Considering that I was almost always late, I wanted to get ready as soon as I could.

It didn't help that I was exhausted from training; my mind kept begging me for sleep and interrupting all of my thoughts. I dismissed all of the clothes I hadn't looked at yet, instead focusing on the ones I'd deemed worthy of wearing. So far I'd narrowed it down to my normal purple zipper dress, the matching one in green, or a black skirt with a red blouse. I think my brain was trying to overcomplicate things, because on a regular day I would have just put on my normal dress without a second thought and go.

_Must be the sudden activity_, I thought groggily. _After all, I haven't trained in a couple weeks._ I refused to believe that my newfound concern for fashion had anything to do with Shikamaru himself. _I'm just meeting his parents because I'm in his group. Nothing else at all._ If I wasn't firm with myself now, then I would lose track of my emotions later.

With that in mind, I tossed the green dress and the other outfit into a corner and donned the purple dress without much enthusiasm. I _was_ looking forward to finally meeting the Nara family, in an apprehensive kind of way. I wondered what they were expecting of me. Was I supposed to be stubborn and unreasonable like Ino? Suddenly, the possibilities were endless. But if they were anything like Shikamaru, then hopefully I would be fine.

I walked out my house feeling slightly better, though still quite wary. Taking a deep breath, I tried to lose some of the tension. Usually it was best to just improvise without any thought beforehand. I just hoped it didn't turn into something awkward.

After I'd knocked on Shikamaru's door, I waited for a few moments before a woman answered. She was rather pretty, but I could tell from the set of her mouth that she was used to frowning. "Nyuushin Niwaka?" she asked, her face softening to a smile.

"H-hai," I said nervously, fighting not to duck my head. "Hello."

The woman's smile widened as she beckoned me inside. "It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Nara Yoshino, Shikamaru's mother." I'd figured that. _How can Shikamaru say she's troublesome? She's so sweet! Oh wait, he says I'm troublesome too._ I followed Yoshino through the door, coming up to the side of a sturdy table set for four. "Take a seat, Niwaka. I'll fetch Shikamaru and Shikaku." In a moment, Yoshino was gone and I was sitting in one of the chairs, fiddling with the chopsticks beside my plate. _Well, I like his mom—_

"_Shikamaru!"_I jumped, sending the chopsticks skittering across the floor._"Shikaku! Hurry and come to dinner! Our guest is here!"_I pushed back my chair hurriedly and dove underneath the table, searching for my utensils. _Okay, so she's pretty intense. I didn't see that coming at all._ Where were my chopsticks? I crawled under the next chair and spotted them lying near the wall. Just as I grabbed them, I saw three pairs of legs step into the room.

Jumping up, I straightened my skirt and unconsciously patted my hair, clutching the chopsticks in my fist. "Sorry," I said, face flaming. "I dropped my—my chopsticks." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at me; I desperately wished I could give him the most violent glare I could think of, but I was determined not to lose any more composure in front of his parents.

"Well…" I focused my attention clumsily on the man standing beside Yoshino who had spoken. I almost did a double take when I saw that he looked almost exactly like Shikamaru. Sure, his face was angular and covered in scars, he was much older, and his clothes were in bad condition, but the resemblance was uncanny. Like father, like son, or however that goes. "Let's eat."

I started when he spoke again and immediately plunged myself into the chair I'd claimed. To my immense relief, Shikamaru took the seat next to me, leaving his parents on the other side of the table, Shikaku across from his son and Yoshino across from me. "Your face is very red," Shikamaru muttered.

"I'm quite aware," I said.

Yoshino, meanwhile, was bringing in different dishes from the kitchen and laying them in front of us. I sat quietly with my hands folded in my lap ignoring the chopsticks which I had put back next to my plate.

"Niwaka-san," Shikaku said, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair. "I hear you're a talented ninja. I've seen it, as well. Your performance at the main matches was impressive."

"Arigato…" _What do I call him? Not sensei, he's not my sensei. _"…Nara-sama."

"Shikamaru says that you're something of an artist," he continued, sipping from a glass of water.

I glanced over at Shikamaru who shrugged. "You draw," he said shortly.

"Sometimes I like to doodle," I answered. "But I'm really mediocre, I swear. And my people come out as stick figures."

Shikaku also turned to Shikamaru who told him, "They're very _nice_ stick figures. And her landscapes are much better than mediocre." _So much praise_, I thought numbly. _There must be something wrong here. Shikamaru's never this nice to me._

Once Yoshino was done serving the food, she began to pass around the plates. "You come from Umougakure, right Niwaka-san?" she asked pleasantly.

"Hai," I replied.

"You know, I'd never heard of that village until you came here," she said, spooning a mountain of noodles onto my plate. "Where exactly is it?"

"The Bear Country. Near Hoshigakure."

"Oh, Hoshigakure," Shikaku said suddenly. "I think I remember where that is."

All in all, I was thoroughly on edge now. I dislike small talk as much as the next person, and right now, it was small talk coming out of my ears. For nearly an hour they pumped me for information. At least it felt like they were pumping me. Really, Shikaku and Yoshino were quite polite. Shikamaru kept quiet for the most part, except when he thought I didn't give an acceptable answer. If I said my genjutsu was reasonable, he told me it was better, if I said I didn't always have a handle on my Written Words, he told his parents that I ruled them with an iron fist. I could not win.

Finally, the meal ended and Yoshino began to clear the places. "Niwaka-san?" she called from the kitchen. "Would you mind terribly if I asked for your help with the dishes? If I asked Shikaku or Shikamaru, they would only break them all."

"Hai, of course," I responded and rose from the table, half pleased to get away from Shikaku's measuring stare and half terrified of what Yoshino might say to me. I've faced ninjas of all calibers and yet I was afraid of Shikamaru's mother. _For good reason_, I reminded myself. _She's got the sharpest tongue I've ever seen._ Over dinner I'd heard her upbraid both Shikaku and Shikamaru for things as simple as not eating absolutely everything she gave them. What she might find to harass me about, I wasn't completely sure.

For a few minutes, the two of us stood beside the sink; she washed, I dried. I heard Shikamaru and Shikaku talking in the dining room but I couldn't distinguish any actual words. With any luck, they weren't talking about me. "I worry about Shikamaru," Yoshino said abruptly as she scrubbed one of the pots. "I can't always keep my eye on him. And he _needs_ someone to do that."

I grinned. "Don't I know it," I answered. "Five seconds without supervision and he'd be in a barrel halfway down the river."

Yoshino smiled as well and handed me the pot to dry. "I'm glad you understand that, Niwaka-san." Her tone hardened slightly, but not in a threatening way. "I want to know that at least someone besides Asuma-sensei and Chouji will take care of him. They're well enough, but he needs a woman."

I almost coughed at that, but stopped myself. _She's not implying anything, dolt_, I growled at myself. _Just stating a simple truth._"Shikamaru is very important to me," I replied carefully. "As important to me as anyone else has been, I think. That being the case, I will do all I can to make sure he's safe."

Yoshino met my gaze with level eyes and nodded. "It's not that he's reckless," she continued after a pause. "The boy's as lazy as they come, but it's like he's walking around with his eyes closed."

"And he thinks _we're _the troublesome ones," I muttered, earning a sharp laugh from the woman.

By the time we were done with the dishes, Yoshino and I were on good terms, talking less politely and more casually. Like very tentative friends. I suppose it might bother other kids to act friendly with adults, but back in Umou, _all_ of my friends were adults. Shikamaru and Shikaku still sat at the table, but now they were competing at what looked like a very extreme game of Shogi. From my small experience, I could tell that Shikaku was winning.

"I should get going now," I told Yoshino with a regretful look. "I have some… laundry… to do." Immediately, my regret faded into a grimace.

"If you like," Yoshino said, shaking my hand. "It was nice meeting you, Nyuushin Niwaka." From the glint in her eye, I could tell that she would not want me to forget our conversation in the kitchen anytime soon. Shikaku rose to shake my hand as well, and then Yoshino asked, "Shikamaru, why don't you walk Niwaka-san home? I'm sure she would appreciate it."

Shikamaru looked halfway between argument and compliance, but I spoke for him. "No, there's no need for him to go out of his way. I'll just—"

"Don't shake me off," Shikamaru told me irritably as he pushed in his chair. "I'm coming."

As soon as Shikamaru closed his front door behind us, he sighed deeply. "I'm sorry you had to suffer through that. Nothing is scarier than my mother."

"I like her," I stated. If anything, he only looked more miserable when I said that. _Two females out to get him. Poor Shikamaru._

He sighed again. "Of course you do." The next thing was more of a mumble, but I caught it perfectly. "I hate women."

"Your dad kind of seemed like a creep to me, though," I said thoughtfully. "Or maybe that was because he looked so much like you." Without waiting for him to protest or sigh a third time, I continued, "Sorry, it was just really easy."

"That's ironic," Shikamaru commented dryly, "because my dad thinks you're great."

I frowned and swiveled around to watch his face. He might have been having a tooth pulled for all I knew. "Is that so? Why?" I wondered.

"Like I would know," Shikamaru groaned.

"But you would," I said sweetly, "because you think I'm great too." Luckily for Shikamaru, we got to my house before he had to come up with a response. "Well, I had a good time, Shikamaru. It was really awkward. But I'm glad I came. I think."

For once, he smiled. "That's good." He then looked to the side and breathed in sharply. "Because they want you to come again."

"I'd be delighted," I told him, but on the inside I wasn't so sure if I could handle that much tension again. "Now, I have to go. I wasn't lying about that laundry. I'll see you at training tomorrow, pineapple head." And I closed my door.

* * *

"Niwaka, you're losing pace," Asuma called at me. "Keep up with Shikamaru!" The next morning we were doing our practice laps and instead of just sitting by, Asuma had decided to take an even more active role. _Of course he tells _me _to hurry up_, I thought. _Even when Chouji's a full lap behind us and I'm barely a meter behind Shikamaru._ I guess it was too much to expect Asuma to go easy on me. After all, I'd implied that he might have messed up my scroll and no one could be forgiven easily for that. Stupid Asuma and his pride.

After we finished warming up, Asuma set Chouji to standing on water and Shikamaru to using his new Shadow Neck Bind technique on one of the trees. "Niwaka," he said to me. I expected him to tell me to start strolling over trees again, but he made me take out the scrolls of all my Written Words. _I should've known this was coming_, I realized. With one meaningful glance, he left me to go supervise Shikamaru.

Making a face, I opened Soushi's scroll first and grudgingly drew her out. When she appeared on the grass in front of me, at first she looked a little surprised. "Niwaka-sama!" she cried as she saw me and threw her arms around me. "I got so worried when you didn't send us back. Are you alright? How long has it been?"

"A few weeks," I mumbled. "I was weak for… for a long time."

"That's to be expected," Soushi told me primly and stood back, arms crossed. "So are we training or what?"

"Wait," I said, "let me call out the others first." Yorukashu I brought out next only because I knew he was as nice as Soushi. Sekitan I knew would never be mad at me, but she also had a stare like a hawk that could intimidate anyone. And Kusari… Well, if he decided he wanted to whack me over the head, I wanted some protection, so I got him last.

Just as Kusari appeared out of his scroll, he uttered a string of loud curses which I cringed at. I had _never_ said such colorful words to him. Where did he learn these things? "I have been locked in a scroll for who knows how long!" he shouted after he got tired of obscenities. Several birds flew up from the trees and scattered at the noise. "And had no idea whether you were crippled for life or in a coma and here you are walking around all la-di-da! I was worried sick!"

My mouth fell open. "Kusari, I didn't know you cared," I said incredulously. No sarcasm, either. I know how strange that is, but honestly, Kusari says how he's feeling less than I do.

"Of course I care," he retorted furiously. "Why did you wait so long?"

"I had to recover," I informed him. "I was in the hospital for at least eight days, you know."

"Don't give me excuses!" Kusari jabbed a finger straight at me. "Now, are you sane and whole?"

"We'd all like to know," Sekitan told me as she stood over next to Soushi.

Facing them all as best I could, I laced my fingers together. "I'm completely fine," I answered, "except for a minor issue. I had this whole chakra instability going on, but it's only because you guys probably retained some of the chakra I used with the Completed Word. As soon as I send you all back to your scrolls it should be gone."

"Should be?" Yorukashu asked, concerned. "You mean there might be another cause."

"Not really," I told him. "Asuma says that there being another reason is highly unlikely. If it doesn't work, then _I'll_ be surprised and Asuma might have an apoplexy. Anyway, I just wanted… to apologize. First, for not calling you out sooner. I was nervous."

"Nervous?" Kusari demanded. "I might care, but _you_ get nervous? About us?"

I scowled at him, but continued as if he hadn't spoken. "After the Completed Word wore off, I felt really weird. About how I acted, and everything. I feel like I might have been just… mean. So. Sorry."

All four of them just stared at me. "Right," Sekitan said. "Can we train now?"

I couldn't pretend I wasn't relieved and for the rest of my training session, I made sure to work as hard as possible so that next time I used the Completed Word, I wouldn't lose control. I owed my Words that at least.

With the sun high overhead, I paused in a spar with Yorukashu to watch a ninja jump down from the trees and land in front of Asuma. I almost continued the match, but then stopped as Asuma motioned Shikamaru over. The three conferred for a few minutes. I recognized the other ninja as Shikaku just as both he and his son disappeared into the trees. Right after that, Asuma motioned for me to come over as well.

"Do you know who Tsunade is?" he asked quietly.

I sucked in my cheek, pondering. _I know I've heard that name before… Aha!_"She's one of the Legendary Sannin, isn't she?"

"Exactly. And as of now, she's the Fifth Hokage."

I blinked. "Oh." Then I frowned, opened my mouth, and then closed it again. "Asuma-sensei, is there a reason you're telling me this?"

"She's the most skilled medical ninja in Country of Fire and possibly anywhere else," he added, raising his eyebrows at me.

"So?" I asked, before I could really think about what he'd said. As soon as I saw his exasperated face, I clapped a hand to my head. "Right! You said you wanted me to learn healing. Completely slipped my mind."

Asuma rolled his eyes. "She's only just arrived, but I want you to see about an apprenticeship as soon as possible. Once you're done with Yorukashu, why don't you go visit her?"

My face paled considerably, and I gave Asuma an utterly plaintive look. "Me? By myself? All alone? If everything I've heard about that woman is true, she could crush me with her pinky if I said something she didn't like."

"She wouldn't need her entire pinky," Asuma corrected with a wolfish grin.

I just gaped at him in perplexity. "And what are the chances she'll actually accept me?" I asked, eyeing him shrewdly. "After all, I'm not even from this village. I'm just a sad little orphan who got dumped here. Why should a Sannin want to teach _me_?" I meant it as sarcasm, but Asuma actually seemed to consider it.

"That might help you," he murmured. "Niwaka, stop your grousing and get back to your Words. They look like they miss you."

Complaining to myself about Asuma's attitude, I stalked back to my little clearing where I continued to battle Yorukashu. About a half an hour later, Asuma told me I was free to go, but I knew better than to trust that.

Sending a wave to Chouji, who apparently was stuck with Asuma until I came back (poor kid), I hopped up into the nearest tree and made my way back to the village main. The village was abuzz with chatter, probably about Tsunade's arrival and ninjas swarmed over the streets in packs. I think it took a truly stupendous event to actually crowd the roads. That or a stupendous invasion, but I knew about that firsthand. On the way down to the Hokage's office, I glimpsed Izumo and Kotetsu's backs through a gap in the crowd, and snaked a way between passersby.

"Hey, guys," I said as I stepped between them.

Izumo and Kotetsu both turned their heads slightly and smiled when they saw me. "Oh, Niwaka," Izumo said. "Aren't you training today?"

"I was," I replied. "Asuma-sensei sent me to find Tsunade. Is she in her new office?"

The both of them exchanged grim expressions. "Unfortunately not," Kotetsu finally informed me. "Konohamaru locked himself in there with all of his grandfather's possessions. None of us has been able to get him out, but Naruto's working on it. I don't see how he plans on breaking in."

"Konohamaru has set enough traps to hold even us at bay," Izumo added. "We don't know where Tsunade-sama might be, but I would check around the bars. Tall blonde with pigtails and a blue rhombus on her forehead. Easy to spot, because she has huge—" Suddenly, Kotetsu elbowed Izumo in the ribs. Izumo turned bright red and coughed. "What I mean to say—"

"You'll find her," Kotetsu assured me. "We really have to get going." As Kotetsu dragged Izumo away I heard him hiss, "You can't say things like that to Niwaka! She's a thirteen year old girl!"

I shook my head, and continued off into the opposite direction. To be honest, I had no idea where to go first, so I began to wander randomly. I passed Ichiraku Ramen, then circled the Academy a few times, walked along the riverfront and finally just took to rambling down the streets.

Finally, I made it to a likely area, all restaurants and bars, and began to peer underneath the flaps outside. I had my head stuck in the window of one, trying not to acknowledge how hungry I was.

"Hey, Niwaka. Long time no see."

With a loud squeak, I jumped, hitting my head on the windowsill and then whipped around to give a what-for. But then I forgot what I had been going to say as my face fell. "Hi, Gaman."

* * *

**Dun dun DUUUUUUN. Gasp! Could this possibly introduce some kind of... conflict? Well, let's hope so. For those of you pulling for Niwaka and Shikamaru, I hope you enjoyed this little... I dunno what to call it, but hope you enjoyed it anyway!**

**Also, I just want to make something clear before any other chapters are released. I've known exactly where this story was going almost from the minute I started writing it. With a few exceptions, everything that happens has been planned to happen since the beginning (up to about chapter 40-I haven't had foresight past that) so I hope no one thinks I did any of this on a whim. I have no idea why that would bother me, but whatever. I have to sleep.**

**Gute nacht!**


	14. The Right Questions

**So, I realize that it's only been like three days since the last chapter came out, but whatever. Haven't gotten any feedback on that last chapter, so we'll see what I can get here.**

**Sooooooooo... This chapter... It's basically just all over the place. I kind of had fun with some parts though, and** **I hope it's worth reading. :)**

* * *

"You don't seem _exceptionally_ happy to see me," Gaman said, watching me almost tentatively.

What was I going to say to that? I'd all but forgotten about him and Okure and the rest back in Umougakure, or at least I was trying to. There was no reason for him to be here, and the fact that he was just reminded me of what I'd left behind. But instead of calling him out on it, I opted for a straight-to-the-point approach. "What are you doing here?"

To my surprise, he chuckled at that. "I should've known you were going to be difficult. Alright, we'll play be your rules. I'll tell you straight out. I'm taking you back to Umou. You can go home."

My entire world crumbled and I felt all of the blood drain from my face. "Home?" I whispered. "H-how?"

"Well, with the death of the Third Hokage—we did hear about that, you know—the contract he and Okure forged has become null. You see, it was an agreement between Nyuushin Okure and Sarutobi Hiruzen, not whoever held the title of Hokage. The deal's been dissolved, so I've come to escort you back."

Again, I didn't know what to say. But as Gaman continued to smile at me, I felt a surge of anger. "Have you discussed this with the Fifth?" I asked icily. "You do realize that Tsunade-sama is our new Hokage."

"Not yet," Gaman reminded me. "She hasn't been inaugurated yet. Anyway, she has no reason to make you stay. Umou made sure of that before sending me over. Now let's go pack your things, alright? We should head out on the road before it gets too late."

I stared at him, completely mortified. _How can he be so pretentious?_ I wondered hollowly. I breathed in deeply and held it, so I wouldn't lose track of my tongue. "Did it ever occur to you," I said, "that I might not want to go with you, Gaman?"

He matched me stare for stare, but only for a moment before he began to laugh loudly. The people on the streets sent him disturbed glances before hurrying away. "Ah, that's funny, Niwaka-chan. I almost thought you were serious." When he saw my face, his laughter ebbed until an aura of stony silence surrounded him. "You _were_ serious."

"If I go back with you," I said, beginning to gain some composure, "how soon will it be until you send me away again?"

"You know it doesn't work like that," Gaman told me quietly.

"How am I supposed to trust that?" I demanded. "How can I trust anything you say? I thought it was my parents' dying wish that I live _here_. Okure wants me to fulfill that and then just changes his mind? Why should I trust anything you say?"

"You _have_ lived here." Gaman ran his hand through his hair, obviously irritated that he had to explain. "And long enough. We know how unhappy you were to leave. I told Okure not to do that to you, but he's old, he doesn't know what you had to go through."

"Gaman." I sighed. "I thought I made it completely clear before. Umou made me a Konoha ninja. This is my home, and now only Tsunade-sama can send me back."

Slowly, Gaman closed his eyes. "Niwaka-chan, you're so stubborn. I hoped you'd gotten over that. What do have holding you here? You've only lived in Konoha a few months at the very most."

"Have you completely forgotten the reason Okure made me come here in the first place?" I shouted. Now the bystanders were watching me, and none to happily. "Teamwork! Isn't that right? I'm part of a team! And I care about them." Standing my ground, I met Gaman's eyes, suddenly aware that he was a jounin and I a lowly genin. "You can't expect me to just leave them."

"Come on, Niwaka-chan, you can't tell me that you've never wanted to come back." He had me there. I'd hoped, I'd dreamt, I'd formulated complex occurrences in which Okure and Gaman begged me to come home and after milking as much praise from them as possible, I finally returned. But now that it was all laid out in front of me, I had no idea what I wanted. Umou or Konoha? Okure or Tsunade? Gaman or Asuma? Suddenly, everything seemed very blurred. On one hand, I wanted to punish Umou for throwing me away. On the other, the Nyuushin clan had taken care of me for thirteen years.

"I won't discuss this now," I announced, pointing my nose in the air. "You just had to toss this on my lap, didn't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean whatever I want to mean, Gaman," I snapped and began to walk away from him. "Leave me alone!"

"So you'll think about it then!" he called after me. "I knew you would!"

I scowled downward as I stomped across the street. _Who does he think he is?_ But, even if I was furious right now, I knew that I would be pondering for a long while yet. Home. Umougakure had always been home.

For nearly a half an hour, I stalked, simply for the sake of stalking, but soon whatever anger I'd been holding onto began to fade away. Completely wiped of energy, I sat on the nearest bench I found, not far from the spot where team ten had first met. Shikamaru, Chouji, Asuma and me. It seemed like forever ago. Was Gaman right? Had it only been months?

I reached into my pocket and ran my fingers over the Written Words' scrolls. For a moment, I considered calling one of them out, but then I realized that would just drive me deeper into a rut. Soushi would spend all her energy feeling sorry for me, Kusari would just annoy me. Sekitan might say something helpful but in an entirely blunt and unsympathetic manner. And Yorukashu was just… too _nice._

Then, I thought about asking the Warriors what I should do, but I was in no mood for Soratsume's lectures. She was really the only one who I would trust to give me advice. But then there was Joucho. She would be able to read my emotions better than I could. _I don't need patronization from a porcelain mouse,_ I thought bitterly. Which was a total lie. I wasn't sure what else would even be useful other than Joucho's patronization.

I placed my head in my hands and just sat. I sat, and sat, and sat. When someone _else_ sat down on the bench, though, I didn't even look up. In fact, I didn't notice. What brought me out of my haze was actually the sound of paper rustling. Lifting my neck, I spun to see who was next to me and just gaped when I saw Kakashi flipping a page of the latest _Icha Icha _novel. _Of course_, I thought absently. _It had to be the last person I'd expect. The world is just_ trying _to catch me off guard today._ I attempted to ignore Kakashi, unzipping one of my pockets and taking out a blank scroll._ I thought he was in the hospital, anyway. Sakura lied to me._ As he continued to read, I began drawing the contour of the skyline.

"Asuma tells me Tsunade will be teaching you healing."

I flicked my eyes from Kakashi to my scroll then grudgingly tossed the paper back into my pocket. (I flinched because I realized the wet ink would smudge all over my dress.) "No offense, Kakashi-sensei," I said, "but I'm sure you have better things to do than small talk with me. I'm not even on your team."

"Sasuke is still in the hospital," he informed me. "Sakura won't leave his side. I don't have the slightest idea what Naruto is doing."

"Trying to break Konohamaru out of the Hokage's study," I answered absently.

Kakashi just kept reading. "Doesn't surprise me. Anyway, I've just gotten out of recovery and here you are, on a bench, when you're supposed to be finding the Fifth. Now, the only explanation for you not following Asuma's orders is that there is something wrong."

"Which is why I'd expect Asuma to be telling me I'm a bad person for not listening. Not you and your make out books." Kakashi was great and everything; everyone said so. But why would he bother with me? To be honest, I was flattered, but at the same time, just confused.

"Ninjas should learn to expect the unexpected."

_I had that coming_, I thought glumly. "Okay, Kakashi-sensei, I get it. Now, what exactly do you want?"

"I'd start with why you're not training, and moping on a bench."

_Okay, this is really too much. Is it really his business whether I'm moping or not? Is there a point to this?_ But since he was a superior, I had to answer. "Umou wants me back," I told Kakashi. "And I don't know what I'm going to do about it."

"Sounds like a problem."

"More than sounds like one."

"Asuma doesn't know?"

"Didn't know how to tell him."

"You told me."

"You _interrogated_ me. That's different."

"You should tell Asuma."

I threw my hands up in the air in frustration. "I will! I needed to think, though. Gaman will only give me so much time to decide before he makes up my mind for me."

"Well, before you think about it too much, I'd find Tsunade-sama," Kakashi said seriously. "Until you figure out whether you're going back, she's your Hokage. And well qualified to tell you what you should do. Besides, it's only a matter of time before Asuma asks her for you. I would beat him to it."

I grimaced but nodded. "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei," I muttered. He didn't answer, and when I glanced over at him, he was immersed in his book, one hand touching his mouth in surprise. _Geez, what a weird guy._

And again, I began my search, sticking my head into every building I passed. I wasn't going to take any chances on missing her. Turns out I didn't even have to worry about that because when I asked one of the various bartenders, he told me that Tsunade had left moments ago to return to her office. Slightly annoyed, I made my way back to my starting place and climbed up the steps of that enormous red building. Finally, I was in front of the Hokage's door. With my hand outstretched to knock, I stopped. For several minutes, I just stood with my hand floating in the air, until I shouted at myself that I was being extremely foolish. I knocked.

"Come in!" When I opened the doorway, there was Tsunade, exactly how Izumo and Kotestu had described her. And she also had the most generous bosom I'd ever seen. _Well, now I know what they were talking about_, I thought wryly. _Oh god, she's terrifying._ The way she was frowning and whipping her brush across the paper in front of her reminded me of an angry Soratsume lashing her tail. She didn't glance up. "What do you want?"

"Sarutobi Asuma wanted me to ask to become your apprentice," I answered, gripping my dress with sweaty hands.

Narrowing her eyes, Tsunade stopped writing and studied me closely. "And who are you?" she inquired with what seemed excessive patience.

"Nyuushin Niwaka, of team ten."

"Well, Nyuushin Niwaka, how is your chakra control?" She laid down her brush and tilted her head to the side. Even sitting still, she looked threatening. _She is so going to hurt me_.

"It's terrible," I said. No use in lying. My chakra control was a disgrace to ninjas everywhere.

"And you say Asuma sent you? I will only accept a student who wants to learn, girl. If you're only here because he told you to come, I won't take you on. So do you have any other reason for being here?" Now she looked _really_pissed off. Or maybe she was just really intent. I couldn't tell at all.

I thought hard for a moment. _Did_ I want to heal? Asuma obviously thought so; otherwise he wouldn't have bothered telling me to come. But then I remembered my parents, and what I had told Yoshino. Images of Chouji, Naruto, and Lee in the hospital flashed across my vision. "I'm an orphan," I told her. _Well, maybe Asuma's right. Maybe this will help me._ "I have no family other than the rest of the Nyuushin clan, and I can't help but wonder whether a medical ninja could have saved their lives. I don't want to have to wonder if one of my teammates suffers the same fate. I want to know for sure that I did everything I could to save them. And that they survived."

Tsunade met my eyes, and it seemed her expression softened slightly. _Good! Is that good? Am I not failing? Oh please say I'm not failing._ "And your teammates are important to you?" she asked quietly.

"More than anything," I said without hesitation. Although I tried to keep my exterior confident, suddenly I was questioning myself. If Chouji and Shikamaru were so important to me, then why was I thinking of leaving? Were the two of them all that was keeping me here? Once again, my head was spinning.

When I returned to the matter at hand, Tsunade was scribbling onto her scroll again. "I'll think about your request, Nyuushin Niwaka." That was a clear dismissal, and once I heard it, I scurried out of the door gratefully. _First Yoshino and now Tsunade. These women are intimidating! I'm beginning to understand why Shikamaru hates us so much._

At that point, I wasn't really sure where to go. Asuma hadn't given me strict instructions to return once Tsunade was done with me and I was in no hurry to go back. I was getting as lazy as Shikamaru. This had to come to an end before it got serious. So instead of finding Asuma, I looked for an empty training site. I did find one, but it took me forever to actually start training. For several minutes, I stared at the post that I was thinking about practicing taijutsu on. Half of me wanted to beat the living shit out of it, and the other just wanted to lie down and slip into a coma.

Woodenly, I took a swing at the post. Then another. After a while, I got into the rhythm and went through a series of kicks and punches. Once I got tired of that, I took all the shurikens off my person and walked to the very edge of the training ground. Just as I was about to toss the first one without looking, I lowered my hand as I saw someone else walk (or limp, I guess) into the clearing.

"Lee-kun!" I shouted and ran over, dropping all of my shurikens on the ground. I tried not to run into him too hard—after all, the kid was still a cripple—but I hugged him thoroughly before letting go. "I'm so sorry I haven't seen you in forever!"

"It's quite alright, Niwaka-san," he said, rubbing the back of his head and blushing slightly. "How are you?"

"I'm…" I bit my lip. "I'm… not actually sure. What about you?"

"The same," Lee replied, looking morose. Laying his crutch on the ground, he sat down against the nearest tree.

I joined him, leaning my elbows on my knees and watching a beetle scuttle across the ground. "So, what's on your mind, Lee-kun?"

"Well." Lee wrapped his arms around his legs, fuzzy eyebrows knit together in concentration. "Tsunade-sama came to heal me. But… She can't."

"Oh, Lee," I murmured, and patted his arm.

"There is—" His mouth twisted. "—a procedure that Tsunade-sama told me about. There's only a fifty percent chance that it will work. And if it doesn't it'll be fatal."

My mouth dropped open in horror. And I thought _I_ had it bad. "I'm so sorry."

"Niwaka-san, what do you think I should do?" he asked.

"I think you should not trust anything I tell you," I answered honestly. "I can't even fix my own small problems, and I don't want to screw up your life too."

Lee smiled a little. "I'd like your opinion, at least. I do trust you, Niwaka-san."

"For reasons I can't begin to fathom," I mumbled. "Okay, Lee-kun, I'm just going to ask you some questions. You're the only one who can answer them. And maybe if I'm not too far off the mark, they'll help you. They used to make me do this at Umougakure when I was having problems." Lee nodded vigorously, reaching into his green suit and withdrawing a notebook and pencil. "Okay, we'll start simple. What is it that you want?"

"To continue being a ninja," Lee stated, "and be the best at taijutsu."

"See?" I said, smiling. "Simple. What are you afraid of?"

Lee blinked. "Um. Dying?"

"Yeah, that one's kind of stupid in this situation," I told him, grinning faintly. "Let's say you don't go through with it. You'll regret it, yes. But do you think it's something that will just pass in a few years, or something that will keep you up at night for the rest of your life?"

Lee looked down, frowning slightly. "The second one."

"There are a bunch of others," I said, "but most of them are just way off track. It never helped me, but maybe it'll make you think about the right things, you know?"

"Yeah." Suddenly, he sat up. "What about you, Niwaka-san? What's bothering you?" I explained my situation, feeling a little uncomfortable about saying it all so openly. Once I'd finished, Lee looked contemplative. "I know what _I_ want you to do," he said, fiddling with his pencil. "But maybe you should ask yourself some of your questions. Oh wait, you say they don't work for you."

"They really don't," I admitted. "I always come up with about fifty answers to each one and they always contradict each other." I paused. "Maybe more like forty answers if they're yes-or-no."

"I know you'll find the answer. But there's one thing." Lee leaned back against the tree and then tilted his head forward to look me in the eye. "If I let Tsunade operate. And I don't make it… Will you promise to stay?"

Although I didn't want to acknowledge that possibility, I nodded. "Of course."

Lee raised one eyebrow. "Shake on it," he ordered. Once I had, he said, "Whatever you do in any other case, it's your choice, but if I'm not here, someone needs to keep Neji's head from getting too big."

"You know I can't stand him, but for you, Lee-kun, I'll do it." _So everyone wants me to look after everyone else, huh? I'm beginning to see my part in the scheme of things. Obviously, the universe is trying to tell me something._

* * *

_I looked down at the hospital bed in front of me curiously. Was that me? My black-violet hair fell all over the place, knotted and messy. Thankfully, my eyes were closed. I didn't see any red. "Why am I in here?" I mumbled, plucking at the sheets._

"_You're losing something." Gaman stepped into view on the other side of the bed, Kumoboufuu perched on his wrist. "Something important."_

"_What is it?" I asked, beginning to feel frightened. I touched the forehead of the girl on the bed—me, although I was having problems contemplating it—and recoiled. It was cold._

"_Your memories," answered Chouji as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Soratsume says that tomorrow you'll forget how to listen."_

"_Forget how…" I stared down at myself in terror. "I want to remember."_

"_Sight or hearing," Gaman said. "You have to choose."_

"_I won't," I told them both stubbornly. Quickly, I snatched up the edge of my sheets and flipped them up in the air, knocking Chouji's hand off of my shoulder._

_When the sheet fell down again it was onto sandy shore. Within seconds it dissolved beneath a frothy wave that crashed across the beach. Floating on a giant palm leaf several meters out to sea, Naruto crouched across from Gaara. Both of them had their hands cupped in front of them as a pile of sand floated between them. Gaara's gourd bobbed on the surface further in the background. "Keep concentrating," Naruto was saying as Gaara nodded earnestly. "If you don't, we'll both sink." Gaara's face hardened as I saw him straining harder. "You're getting it now!"_

_Suddenly, feathers rained from the sky, covering my face and arms in seconds. I tried to brush them off, but every time I did, twice as many appeared in their place. I was getting desperate. The feathers now burned like hot coals and I couldn't breathe. I was getting swallowed whole and there was nothing I could do about it._

_Then, Out of nowhere, my skin felt cool. As I opened my eyes again, the feathers began to float away, falling into the ocean. Except that the ocean was now completely sand and I was standing knee-deep in tiny green leaves. Shikamaru stood opposite me, flicking leaves off of his clothes in an aggravated sort of fashion. "Let's get out of here," he told me, and grabbed my hand._

I jerked upright in bed, staring hard at the opposite wall. My hand was tingling as if I'd rubbed nettles all over it. _I'd almost forgotten I was girl_, I thought ruefully. _Shikamaru. Oh well, at least I didn't jump on the Sasuke bandwagon. Then I'd really have to kill myself. _Flinging myself back onto my pillow, I curled into a tiny ball. _Man, this sucks._

* * *

**FINALLY! God, Niwaka, it took you forever but at least you admitted it. Now I can get on with my life. Oh wait...**

**Okay, so now we know that Niwaka's got a choice to make. Before you get too mad at her for not choosing Konoha immediately, you have to forgive her a little. I mean, she did grow up in Umou and for all intents and purposes it was her home for like thirteen years. So go easy on her, okay?**

**Okay, so I'm thinking it's time for that Valentine's Day special! I was not lying when I said I would do it in the middle of the summer. But if you guys would rather I wait and post this in February, speak now or forever hold your peace. 'Cause I swear, otherwise, it's going up as soon as I finish it. I'LL WAIT FOR YOUR REPLIES, MAH PEEPS.**

**P.S. This chapter's under Kakashi and Lee, just 'cause I didn't feel like using Tsunade twice.**


	15. A Matter of Pride

**Come one, come all, and welcome to the Valentine's Day special that's coming out two days before October! HUZZAH! Okay, so for the premise of this chapter, I used an old-fashioned Japanese holiday called Tanabata. You can find the specifics on Wikipedia or other places, but basically, it celebrates the story of the Weaving Maid and the Cowherd, this old love story. It's not strictly a romance holiday, but the other days dedicated to romance are really modern and commercial, so I wanted to use something more... traditional. I made up some of the customs... Hehe...**

**It's kind of a cutesy chapter (I mean it's Valentine's Day; what did you expect?) but it kind of furthers the plot... a little... By the way, I've been getting further with figuring out the storyline. It should be coming around soon enough... Eventually... I've got the events planned, but I'm not sure how many chapters it'll take. Anyway, yeah. I'm sorry this took me a while. I'm a junior and I'm taking 3 APs. It's NOT FUN. OKAY HERE WE GO.**

* * *

"Happy Tanabata!" I cried as I walked into the training clearing two days later. Shikamaru and Chouji stood near Asuma who was tossing a kunai into the air carelessly. "I'd completely forgotten that it was today, you know."

"What are you even talking about, Niwaka?" Shikamaru asked with a loud yawn. "What's… Tana… Whatever it was you said?"

My mouth fell open. "You've never heard of Tanabata?" I whispered in shock.

"No," Shikamaru and Chouji answered at the same time.

Things were bad. "What about you, Asuma-sensei?" I asked, beginning to lose all hope in the culture of my team. "Certainly you must at least be _familiar_ with the term?"

For a moment, Asuma studied his kunai thoughtfully, and then shook his head. "Not at all, Niwaka." Things weren't just bad; they were _really_ bad. "You can tell us about it while you do five hundred pushups." He grinned.

"It's a holiday," I explained, feeling a little awkward. How was this not common knowledge? "It celebrates the meeting of the Weaving Maid and the Cowherd."

"Now _that_ I have heard," Asuma interrupted. "Pushups? Now would be nice."

Immediately, the three of us dropped to the ground and began the routine. "How can you—know the story, but—not celebrate Tanabata?" I huffed between pushups. "That's just wrong!"

"Who doesn't know the story?" Chouji wondered, panting.

"No one! That's what—I'm saying. Umougakure has had—Tanabata for hundreds of years!" No one answered me, mainly because the three of us were focused on doing our pushups without wasting too much breath. I kept pressing myself off of the ground impatiently, suddenly angry that I couldn't go any faster. When we'd all finished, I took up this _very_ important topic again. "So no one—_no one_—in Konoha celebrates Tanabata?"

"How do _you_ celebrate it, Niwaka?" Chouji inquired, sounding curious.

"I'm glad you asked, Chouji," I said. "Everyone writes something they wish for on a piece of paper and ties it to a tree in the middle of the village. Later, all of the small children go out to collect flowers and give one to each of the teenagers and adults. Everyone is supposed to present the flower to the person who is most important to them. It's often a romance thing." I said that part as calmly as I could, trying not to look anywhere specific. "It doesn't really matter who you give it to, but it's considered bad luck if you lose it or don't give it away within seven days."

"Sounds troublesome," Shikamaru muttered.

"It's fun," I insisted. "But I don't suppose I'll have time to show Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon how to collect the right flowers if I'm stuck at training all day." I knew that complaining was going to get me nowhere with Asuma, and yet, I wanted to make him feel guilty. "I guess I can get some during the break."

Asuma was ignoring me, and I could tell. "Shikamaru, Shadow Neck Bind on those five trees in turn, Chouji, Spiked Human Bullet Tank without the kunais."

Chouji stared at Asuma in horror. "But how—"

"You'll figure it out," Asuma told him, smiling all too pleasantly. "Maybe in a year or so, but no time to start like the present, right?" Grumbling, Chouji walked over to a clear spot. "Niwaka, work on your Elemental Song with earth. I know it's hard for you, so if you really care about those flowers, you'll figure out a way to pick them with your chakra."

Half of me wanted to thump him, but the other wanted to hug him. Not sure what would come out of my mouth if I tried to speak, I merely rushed in the opposite direction, hunting for any blossoms hiding in the grass. Not far from our clearing, I found a cloud of small blooms in blue, pink, purple, yellow, and red which I immediately set my sights on. Knowing that Asuma wouldn't be happy until I tried to kill myself via chakra overuse, I plumped myself down ten meters away from the nearest flower, and began humming softly. None of the blasted soil was moving, so I aimed for a lower note. It made sense that to move earth I had to sing at a lower, steadier frequency. Very, _very_ slowly, the dirt by the flowers began to move. And I was already getting tired. Go figure.

Why was I even trying so hard? Very likely, no one in Konoha would care very much if I told them to give someone a flower. _I want them to have the Tanabata experience. It's so sad that they've never even heard of it. Or am I doing this for myself?_ I thought. _Maybe I'm just trying to make Konoha seem more like Umou. Do I want to convince myself that I don't miss it? Or is this just an excuse to give Shikamaru…? _I stopped humming with the first flower a meter away. _Stop that!_ I ordered myself.

I may have been avoiding the fact that I… _liked_… Shikamaru, but it was not as if I had any reason to dwell on it. I had been fighting myself on that front for nearly as long as I had been in Konoha, and now was no time to go soft for some boy. Even if it was Shikamaru. I would _not_ let him get in the way of my thoughts, training, or anything. I would _not_ give him a flower that he undoubtedly would throw away anyway. Even if my head _did_ go fuzzy every time he looked at me. _Enough!_ I shouted inwardly. _What would Soratsume say if she saw you acting like this? Nothing nice and you know it._

Eight painful flowers later, I finally pushed my mind in a different direction. Umou. Yesterday, I had managed to tell them all about Gaman's arrival and the decision I was supposed to be making. Chouji had openly demanded that I stay, while Asuma merely frowned and told me that it was my decision. I wished that all the adults would stop saying that. Lee and Chouji had told me their opinions openly enough, but I needed advice from someone (not to be cliché) older and wiser than thirteen-year-olds. Shikamaru's reaction had also been a frown (slightly more annoyed than Asuma's), but I wasn't about to taint my new train of thought with more concern over him.

After forty flowers, my throat felt raw, not only from the humming, but from the chakra that I was channeling up through my neck. It didn't help that I had nothing of a singing range either. Going low was just _hard_. How many people did I know, anyway? I thought it might take a little too much time to go around and explain Tanabata to every single person in the village. Forty would be enough. But I wasn't done until Asuma said I was, so I sang, shifting the patterns of movement by switching to an open hum, bending the pitch, and singing with various different vowel sounds. There, I was killing myself for him. _He'd better appreciate this_, I thought darkly.

Another twelve flowers later, I stalked back to Asuma with my bounty. "Good work, Niwaka. How many did you get?"

Glaring, I dumped them all and held up five fingers on my right hand and two on my left.

"Lost your voice again?" I nodded. "No more Elemental Song then. Chakra control. Walk on the river." Before I left, though, I grabbed one of the flowers from the ground and thrust it at Asuma with a meaningful look. With a bemused smile, he took it and then shooed me over toward the river.

_If he doesn't give it to Kurenai-sensei, then I don't know what I'm going to do with him_.

"Do I have to?" Shikamaru asked me after I stuck a sprig of blue eyed grass under his nose.

"I can't make you," I told him, in somewhat of a rasp since my voice had only just recovered. "But it would make me infinitely happy." I smiled, fluttering my eyelashes innocently.

He raised one eyebrow. "You probably _could_ make me, if you really wanted to."

"Is that a dare?" I inquired.

With a glower, Shikamaru took the flower between his fingers. "I'll think about it," he said.

"Good. Remember—" I backed away, brandishing my bundle of blossoms at him. "—it's bad luck if you don't humor me."

"It seems like bad luck every time I don't listen to you," Shikamaru muttered.

"That's because I'm always right," I said. Shikamaru frowned. "Or maybe just mostly right." Silence. "Okay, you know I'm right _sometimes_."

Sighing, Shikamaru tucked the flower into his shirt. "The question is how often."

I might have been indignant, except Chouji came running between us. "You're really giving out flowers?" he wondered. "How many people do you think will actually do it?"

"I've got one sucker right here," I said, jabbing a thumb at Shikamaru, who was walking toward Asuma, hands in his pockets, "and Asuma might do it if he's in the mood. If you decide to offer up your participation too, then that's already three more people than I expected." I plucked a love in a mist from my bouquet and handed it to him. "Got a girl in mind, Chouji?" It was a simple enough question, no ulterior motive behind it, but the second the words left my mouth, Chouji's face turned bright pink.

"I—I—um… You see—"

"You don't have to answer," I said gently.

"No, I want to," Chouji stated, holding out his hands as if I were trying to run away. "I feel like I should tell you, since this is your thing."

Like any self-respecting girl, I was curious, but I wasn't about to pressure him. "Don't if you're uncomfortable. It's—"

"Ino," Chouji said. I blinked. "I think I'm giving it to Ino." After saying that, his face turned pinker, if possible.

"Really?" To tell the truth, I was thrown. "Isn't she little… pushy? Pushier than me for sure, and I can be pretty pushy."

"Yeah," Chouji admitted, half fond, half intimidated. "I don't know what it is about her. But for some reason I want to give her this flower."

Smiling, I patted his shoulder. "That's really sweet," I said.

"Nah, she won't take it in any case." Chouji began trudging out of the clearing and toward the village streets. "She thinks I'm too fat and that I should diet."

After a moment, I followed him. "Chouji, you're fine the way you are. Just because you like her doesn't mean you have to go through any intense transformations."

"Yeah, I know. So should I do it? Give it to Ino, I mean."

"Do it," I ordered. "And if you have any problems with her, I'll hide slugs in her bed sheets, alright?"

"Uh, thanks," Chouji said uncertainly. "I'll see you later."

"Bye." I turned back around to bug Shikamaru some more, but he and Asuma were deep in what looked like a serious conversation. Besides, I'd already bothered him enough today.

_Two genins down. How many are there, anyway? _I confess I was treating the holiday sort of as a project. After all, it _was _rather sad that Konoha had never had Tanabata before. Maybe I was just bored. Or maybe I was being entirely selfish by using the petty gathering of flowers to take my mind off of Gaman and Umou, Tsunade's as of yet undecided verdict, my annoying and completely unnecessary feelings for Shikamaru, and everything else that seemed to pop up. _I probably am being selfish_, I thought with an inward sigh. _But at least in the process I'm doing something nice, so I'm not a complete jerk._ Where would everyone be this afternoon? I thought hard as I circled around the academy. Training, probably. I would be back to Asuma in an hour or so. It was time to hunt down some ninjas and force some merriment into them.

In Ichiraku Ramen, I ran into Team Seven. I gave Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi a pretty simple explanation as to what I was doing, stated that no, I was not insane, and dumped a flower in each of their laps. The genins' reactions were pretty predictable.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto said in a sing-songy way.

Sakura glanced at him warily. "Yes…?"

"Here!" Without any other ceremony, Naruto held out the flower, grinning, grinning, grinning. Sakura, meanwhile, rolled her eyes but accepted the camellia bud all the same. But when Naruto held out his hand, clearly willing her to give him her own flower, she thumped him over the head. Kakashi and Sasuke exchanged resigned looks. Afterward, Sasuke flicked his blossom to the ground; Kakashi pocketed his. To be quite honest, I had expected as much.

On my way down the street, I ran into Tenten. Even though we'd been in the same village for several months, I'd never really talked to her, mostly because she hung out around Neji practically every day. But somehow she was on her own today, about to meet her team for some intense taijutsu, she explained. I asked if I could tag along just for a few minutes to give them all flowers. She nodded with what could have been a small smile or a grimace.

"Niwaka-san!" Lee exclaimed when Tenten and I entered their training ground. "What are you doing here?"

"Spreading joy to the village of Konoha," I answered proudly, "with festive plants and well-wishing. Would you like a friged iris?"

Lee shrugged and took the proffered flower. "What's it for?"

Yet another explanation later, I left them, each in their own little world; Gai, spewing gibberish about the Spring of Youth and giving someone a flower faster than Kakashi; Tenten, glancing from her flower, to the sky, to Lee, then Neji, then Gai, then me, etc.; Lee, muttering under his breath and… counting… I believe; Neji, glaring at his flower as if that might burn it to ashes. _Interesting people… At least none of them have thrown it away._ I glanced at Neji, whose glare had deepened. _Yet._

I doubled back toward the street again, thinking. I had only missed Team Eight and Ino's team, wherever that was. I momentarily entertained the idea of stopping random people on the street, but then dismissed it because that would be insane and whatever I was, I was not crazy. Maybe. That point was up for discussion.

"Happy Tanabata." I swiveled around to find Gaman walking behind me inconspicuously. To tell the truth I'd almost forgotten that he was still lurking around, despite the fact that his ultimatum troubled me every day. He had kept a low profile for the past week or so. In fact, I hadn't seen him since he had first arrived in Konoha.

"Happy Tanabata," I mumbled grudgingly.

"I see you're getting into the festivities."

"And I see that you've decided to be a creep."

"Now, that's not fair," Gaman said. "Niwaka-chan, remember when we used to be friends? It wasn't so long ago. Only a few months."

"I don't know if you're my friend or what," I retorted.

"I've known you since—"

"I was born. I know. And I guess that used to mean something, but not anymore."

"Why not?" Gaman asked lightly. "We're the same people, Niwaka, and we're still from the _same_ village, in case you've forgotten."

"I'm _not_ the same. I'm not that _stupid_ little girl anymore, and I'm not going to be controlled by you or Okure! I will do _what_ I want and live_ where_ I want without any reference to anyone else."

Gaman raised his eyebrows. "Wow, Niwaka. When did you become so sassy?"

"And when did you become Okure's dog?" I shot back. He blinked and frowned. _Was that too harsh? God, why am I so angry? I… I've never felt so furious before. Note to self: something is seriously wrong with you._

"Is that what you think I am? Personally, I'm crushed."

I tried to think of some kind of excuse. "I didn't mean—"

"I haven't fallen under Okure's thumb, if that's what you're afraid of. The reason I agreed to come here was for you. _I_ think it's best for you to come home."

"Gaman, you don't get to decide what's best for me," I told him. "That's my job now."

For a moment, Gaman studied me, eyes narrowing. "So you've decided to stay then." Opening my mouth, I struggled to come up with a response. Had I? I faltered. _I haven't. Not yet._"You really should get on that," Gaman advised me, stepping backward. "Keep working on those flowers."

"I will." A minute later I was hurtling down the road, glowering at the street hard enough to ignite sparks. Firstly, Gaman had no business telling me what to do, and yes, that rankled. But what made that infinitely worse was the fact that he was partly right. I hated it when people were right. And what made it _even_ worse… He knew he was right, and he was using it against me.

But even with all that anger floating around in my head, it shouldn't have touched me. I took pride in my cool-headedness. Emotions may exist, but I shouldn't have had to deal with them. It took too much effort to sort them out and deal with them long enough to get past them. I was better off ignoring them, and in a serious way. In fact, I'd trained myself to do just that. Why, all of a sudden, was I getting so furious? Just because of Gaman? And oddly, the feeling had felt familiar.

I didn't notice the person in front of me until I smashed headfirst into them. "Sorry!" I said in half-groan. "These days, I don't really look where I'm… Kiba? Kiba!"

"Hai," he grumbled, rubbing his scalp. "Not your fault. I haven't exactly been attentive lately either."

"It's contagious," I agreed.

"Were you going somewhere?"

"Interestingly enough, I was looking for you. Sort of. Funny how things happen in this village. No matter where you decide to go, you always run into _someone_. Anyway, where's the rest of your team?"

Immediately, Kiba's face darkened. "Somewhere," he said. "There." The tiny wave of his hand redefined 'vague'.

"I can see that you're a little less than cheerful," I told him.

Kiba grunted.

"And I'm guessing there is not power in the world that will make you talk about it."

This time, his grunt was slightly less audible.

"Alright, I can accept that. But here." I thrust one of the flowers at Kiba, and then went through yet another rushed explanation. He frowned, but took it anyway, and began meandering off in no particular direction.

I went through the webs of drama in my head again. _Hinata likes Naruto, who is competing with Lee for Sakura, who's in a battle over Sasuke with Ino, who is liked by Chouji. God only knows where Tenten and Neji fit into everything, Kiba's got some issue, and as of yet, Shino has remained untouched. Or has he? What else don't I know?_ Maybe it was nosy of me, but I didn't like it when I didn't know something. With all this information, I set off toward the vague place where Kiba had gestured, trying to figure out of there was any way that everything could work out. Playing the matchmaker, I guess. Or pretending to.

I hadn't gone too much farther before another familiar person came jogging down the street in my direction. When Hinata saw me, she skidded to a halt, panting slightly. "Have you seen Kiba?" she asked.

I furrowed my brows. "Yeah," I replied slowly. "He just went by teaching the world how to stalk angrily."

Suddenly, she looked worried. "Was he… alright?"

"I think so. What's going on? Did you two get in a fight?"

"Um…" Hinata began pressing her forefingers together in that way she always did. "In a way…"

My jaw dropped. "Honestly, I was joking." I touched Hinata's shoulder gently. "Are _you_ okay?" I asked quietly.

"I'm fine," Hinata answered. I didn't think she was lying, but I never could tell. "I—I made Kiba upset." _Which isn't too hard_, I said inwardly. "I told him that Neji was moving into the Hyuuga compound and—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I interrupted. "Let's back up a safe distance. Neji's doing what, now?" Hinata's eyes widened as she stepped backward. Her fingers seemed to be glued together. Feeling stupid, I cringed. "Sorry. That's exactly what Kiba did, isn't it?"

Hinata straightened up, still looking slightly nervous. "His reaction was worse," she said. "A—a lot worse."

"And ultimately resulted in him storming off?"

"Hai."

"Not to overuse a generic statement," I started, "but you know he's only concerned about you. Neji _did_ almost kill you. He seems pretty stable at the moment, but—"

"He apologized to me." I gaped at Hinata. "About the preliminaries. He also told me that his battle with Naruto helped him to… realize something." _Epiphanies all around, huh? Guess I'm not the only one feeling the magic._

"So did you forgive him?" I wondered.

Shrinking down slightly, Hinata said, "Yes…"

I paused. I knew that_ I_ would never forgive him for what he had done, but that didn't matter. In my experience, it was always easier to forgive someone for an injustice they had done to you. With other people, it was another story entirely. Then again, maybe I was getting too technical about it. After all, it was Hinata's choice.

"Okay," was all I said. Hinata looked surprised, but I immediately changed the subject to flowers and Tanabata before she could question. I was getting _really_ tired of explanations, but my day wasn't over yet. When I finished, Hinata looked more puzzled than when I'd begun.

"People… People do this?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes. And I already told Kiba about it, so he'll understand the apology if you give it to him. Of course, if you want to give it to someone else, far be it from me to stop you." _Take the hint, take the hint, take the hint, take the hint…_

"I suppose I'll figure it out," she said. _Hint, hint, hint, hint, hint, hint. _"I hope Kiba doesn't stay mad in any case."

"No one can stay mad at you, Hinata. Alright, I have to go find Shino and Kurenai-sensei, but good luck with Kiba." I patted Hinata's back before setting off into the next street.

"Wait, Niwaka-chan?"

I swiveled around. "Yeah?"

"Was there—I mean—Are you…" Hinata took a deep breath. "Is there someone who you want to give your flower to?"

With a sigh, I faced her. "Yes," I said softly. "There is." Then, I smiled. "But I won't be giving it to him."

"Why not?" Hinata asked, sounding almost scandalized. Niwaka not following her own procedures? As if it hadn't happened before.

"We'll just say it's because I have a false sense of pride," I replied. "Besides—" I turned back around, waving over my shoulder. "—someone else probably needs it more."

* * *

With only a few hours of daylight left, I had perched myself on a bench by the Academy, fingering a smallish hibiscus bud. I'd kept that one for myself, but I still wasn't sure what to do with it. Hence my sitting. On a bench. Alone. Scowling at nothing.

After I'd finished making the rounds, I'd wandered the village for a while, just to see if Tanabata was catching on at all. More than once, I passed Kurenai who had a miniature iris nestled in her hair: the same kind of flower I'd forced onto Asuma earlier. Other than that, I had seen evidence of neither success nor failure.

"You're such a hypocrite," someone muttered from behind me. I jerked around in time to see Shikamaru sit down on the wall behind me. "Telling us to give out pieces of plant while you sit here mangling your own."

"What can I say?" I sighed. "I was born to be hypocritical."

"Did you know that Chouji actually followed your silly game? Gave his to _Ino _of all people."

"How did it go for him? She didn't… do anything… nasty, did she?"

"No, not at all," Shikamaru answered, sounding surprised himself. "I don't think I've ever seen a person blush so hard, though."

I turned to face him, frowning. "Did you see anyone else do it? I just want to know if I have a future as a professional convince-and-cajole tactician."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, but seemed to think for a moment. "I hear that Kiba and Hinata gave them to each other. Got into a fight or something." _Oh, good,_ I thought. _But too bad Hinata didn't get to give hers to Naruto._ "And I passed that troublesome Neji a few minutes ago. I'm pretty sure he was arguing with a toad lily. But then he tore it up and left it on the ground."

"His loss," I said shortly. Neji. Sasuke. Neji and Sasuke. Flower murderers. I grimaced, then swallowed my aggravation and sent a joking smile at Shikamaru. "What about you, pineapple head?" I asked, flicking his leg, which was dangling by my ear. "Who'd you give it to?"

Groaning, Shikamaru mumbled something unintelligible and pulled the blue eyed grass I'd given him out of his pocket. "I was thinking about it, to tell the truth," he said. "But… I'm confused."

I felt a surge of hope but beat it down. There was no way he was thinking of me. Absolutely no way. "I can accept that," I told him, making myself sound as benevolent as possible.

"How come you haven't given it yet?" Shikamaru inquired, looking me straight in the face.

I rolled my eyes and turned back around, mostly so I wouldn't have to keep looking at him. How long would it be till I started smiling like an idiot? Too soon. I wasn't about to risk it. "I'm proud," I said. "Too proud for my own good. Besides, I might not be here in another week. If I o back to Umou, then maybe I should give it to someone there."

For a long moment, Shikamaru said nothing. It was the most uncomfortable silence I'd ever experienced with him. But somehow, I didn't want to break it. Then, I heard his feet thump against the ground, and a sprig of blue eyed grass appeared in front of my face. "Here," Shikamaru said gruffly.

I stared at it for what seemed hours. _Huh… What?_"Why?" I wondered.

He sighed a deep sigh and sat down next to me. "You may be annoying sometimes, and troublesome, but I don't want you to leave Konoha." He brandished the flower at me again. "So please take it."

"What about that person you're confused about?" I demanded. "What about her? Or him?"

At my second question, Shikamaru turned a slight shade of purple. "Her," he confirmed, glaring daggers at me. "And… I can't give it to her. Take it _now_, Niwaka, I'm not going to hold this out forever."

Quickly, as if I was afraid he would change his mind, I took the flower gingerly between my fingers. "Thanks," I whispered. There was silence again. I felt a wall of pride and discomfort rising in the pit of my stomach, but I wouldn't allow it to sway me now. Nervously, I held out the hibiscus. "Thanks," I said again, louder this time. "You're a really good friend, Shikamaru."

"Yeah, yeah. So I have something to tell you." Shikamaru took my flower quickly and began passing it back and forth between his hands.

"And what would that be?" I asked cheerfully. Now that Tanabata was almost over, I could be a happy soul again.

"I'm a chuunin."

"_WHAT?_" I yelped. "Seriously? Congratulations!" I launched myself at Shikamaru, knocking him onto his side. "You little genius, you! Making it to chuunin level!"

Shikamaru said something muffled, and I grudgingly let go of him. "Are you done?" he asked, sounding vexed.

My cheeks turned slightly pink. "Yeah, I guess. But this is great news! It calls for a sunset." I grinned.

"There's one in about a half an hour," Shikamaru informed me. "Want to watch it?"

"That's exactly what I want to do."

* * *

**Okay, so Shikamaru's a chuunin. Yay, whatever, we knew it was gonna happen. More importantly, there was flower exchanging.**

**OKAY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: This is important, guys. If you (yes, you) are very much attached to the outcome of couples in this story, I would like you to speak out. I have a lot of different ideas, but I'm pretty sure what direction I'm heading. And since I want you, the readers (yes, you) to be happy with the outcome, I'd like you to tell me anything about your pairing fan-age. Likes, dislikes, ZOMG CRAZY OBSESSIONS, stuff like that. And if no one says anything, I'm gonna assume you're okay with all of them. Like I said before, I'm pretty open to anything unless it would just never happen (ex. Gaara and Hinata, Ino and Neji, Shino and Sakura, etc.) or if it involves Sasuke (seriously, that guy is like a black hole of affection-NOTHING ESCAPES). So please, tell me anything at all so I don't disappoint/annoy/offend you.**

**Peace out.**


	16. Proper Planning

**Are you surprised? Shocked even? Completely had your mind blown by the fact that I updated this fanfiction after like a year of hiatus? Well the shock gets bigger. I'M COMING BACK. Yeah, that's right. It's gonna be bigger and badder than ever. Okay, well maybe.**

**I really am sorry for taking off. I had a crazy stressful time last year and then during the summer I came down with a disease. A disease called Dragon Ball Z obsession. I'm still sick with it, but I'm getting back on the Naruto train. It should be tons of fun. Please forgive me!**

**That being said, I just want to let you know: I dunno how this chapter is. It took me a few pages to get back into the swing of things, but I think I have it all down. There's a bit of battle here. Nothing too epic, but it's there. Sooooo yeah. Go ahead and read if that is what you desire.**

* * *

"Hey, did you hear that Naruto and Sasuke got into a fight this morning?" Chouji said conspiratorially to Shikamaru and me. The effect was somewhat ruined by the barbecue sauce dripping from his shirt. "I got it from Kiba, who got it from Shino, who—"

"Over what?" I asked.

"Does it really matter?" Shikamaru leaned on his fist. "They're always fighting about _something_."

"It was because of Naruto's trip to find Tsunade," Chouji said, sounding proud to be the supplier of gossip for once. "Apparently—" Here, he lowered his voice to a dramatic whisper and leaned over the restaurant table. "—Naruto learned a new move from that Jiraiya guy, the Sannin. A move stronger than Sasuke's Chidori."

"And?" I raised my eyebrows, waiting for him to continue. I can't help being a curious person; if Naruto had learned a new move, I wanted to know what it was. "Did Naruto get him with it? Is Sasuke in the hospital again? I would love it if Sasuke's in the hospital again."

"No, no," Chouji told me. "Kakashi-sensei stepped in and stopped them before anything could happen. But Naruto blew off the entire back of a water reservoir!"

"What?" Shikamaru and I exclaimed at the same time.

"Seriously?" I said.

"What technique was it?" asked Shikamaru.

At that point, Asuma leaned forward in his seat while Chouji struggled to reply to both of us at once. "The Rasengan," Asuma said. "A creation of the Fourth Hokage." The three of us made impressed 'oohing' sounds. "But that's not important right now."

"Then what is?" Shikamaru asked, yawning. "Nothing important has happened since the Chuunin Exam."

"Aren't you wondering why I took you out to eat before we even started training?" Asuma crossed his arms and leaned on the table.

"You're right," I mused. "You even let Chouji get an extra order of pork. Asuma-sensei, you're never this generous, so what gives?"

"The Fifth," Asuma said, "wants to stage a review."

Chouji paled almost as soon as Asuma finished his sentence. "I don't want to know what that means," he said weakly.

"No big deal, Chouji," Asuma told him with a cheerful grin. "All it means is that the three of you will be placed in competition with another genin team. I don't know exactly what she'll ask you to do, but best be prepared and well fed."

"Cheers to that," Chouji said, and immediately began shoveling more barbeque onto his plate.

"I don't suppose you could have given us anymore warning," I commented. "Come to think of it, from you, warning would be absurd." _Always telling us things at the last minute and asking us to do weird tasks,_ I thought. I was a little bitter, and nowhere near ashamed of it.

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Asuma replied quite seriously. "If I had told you a day in advance, then you all might have been too shocked to participate. Can't have that, now can we? Especially when the Fifth is so eager to see you compete."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered. "How long do we have before this?"

"Half an hour," said Asuma. Chouji's hands began to move twice as fast, filling his mouth hardly seconds after he'd swallowed. "Other questions?"

Shikamaru and I exchanged glances and then turned to Asuma. "Where's it happening?" I asked.

"The Academy."

"Do we need to bring anything besides what we use for training?"

"No."

"Will we have an audience?"

"Probably."

"If we win against this other genin team will you give us a present?"

"Barbeque isn't a present?"

"Point taken." I paused, thinking, but couldn't come up with any more questions. "Alright," I sniffed. "I'm satisfied."

"Good," said Asuma. "Like I just told you, you have a little less than a half an hour. Take your time. Relax."

"As if we could relax at a time like this," Chouji grumbled as he wiped off his fingers with a napkin.

"I'm sure you'll manage somehow," Asuma said. "I'm off, but I'll meet you at the Academy. Don't be late."

As he left the restaurant, I leaned my elbows on the table and puffed out my cheeks. "I should have guessed something was up. Shikamaru, you already knew, didn't you?"

"I suspected."

"You would. Do we have all our weapons and stuff?"

"Yep."

"Do you have your brain?"

"I think so."

"And we have Chouji, right?"

"I _hope _so."

"Then I propose we stay here until we absolutely have to go."

"Whatever you say."

"I agree!" said Chouji through a mouthful of pork barbeque.

For a long moment, none of us talked. Chouji finally slowed down the pace of his eating, realizing that the barbeque would not run off his plate if he didn't devour it all at once. We sat in comfortable silence for a good ten minutes, each absorbed in our own thoughts. Chouji must have dreading this so-called "review" of Tsunade's, eyes fixed gloomily on his plate as he chewed on the last of his pork. I glanced at Shikamaru every so often, trying to figure out what was going through his mind, but he just leaned his chin on his hands and took a deep breath every so often. I, meanwhile, wondered just exactly what Tsunade was trying to get from this. Probably just some silly Hokage ploy to figure out the strengths and weaknesses of Konoha's genins. Whatever. Let her act like a responsible leader.

My thoughts started to run in circles then, as they tended to. Would a responsible leader of Konoha decide to send me home or hold me under lock and key? Would Tsunade give in to Okure's request to show her flexibility and good will, or would she refuse to show her new authority? Or would she make it _my_choice? That choice was something I was dreading. I had told Gaman that I would think about it, but in all honesty I hoped that someone else would be able to make the decision for me. Gaman, my mentor and friend for my entire life, or Shikamaru, the stupid boy who made me smile. Okure, the old man who had pretty much raised me since my parents died, or Tsunade, the frightening woman who could teach me how to heal. For the thousandth time, I found myself wishing for some kind of hint.

"You're thinking about that Gaman guy, aren't you?"

I glanced up at Shikamaru, blinked, and then lowered my eyes. "Is there anything you can't figure out?"

"Only why my dad married my mom," he said. "I'm serious, Niwaka. Are you still trying to decide what to do?"

I hesitated. "Not so much," I said, leaning my hands on the table. "I've been thinking about this for so long I think I'd thump myself if I hadn't reached some _semblance_ of a decision. No, I think I know what to do, but—"

"But nothing," said Chouji as he swiped a napkin across his sticky face. "You're staying here, aren't you?" I raised my eyebrows. "_Aren't you?"_

Shikamaru fixed me with his classic uninterested stare, but there was a strong interrogative cast around his eyes. "Well?"

"I'm not going to answer that just yet," I said primly, turning my face away. "Not until I'm sure."

Chouji grumbled, but nodded and Shikamaru sighed, probably muttering things about troublesome women under his breath. Really, I was lucky to have such understanding friends. Right now what I needed was an escape from pressure and time to think, and they were giving me just that without protest. Another reason to be careful when making my choice. Being reckless in my decision was the same as being reckless with them. For once in my life, I had friends to worry about—real friends. It was a little daunting.

But I did have a plan. Not a gung-ho I'm-going-to-make-many-confrontations-and-take-life-by-the-horns kind of plan. But it was a plan. All I needed to do was wait.

* * *

Only twenty minutes later, I stood with Shikamaru and Chouji in a field near the Academy. Tsunade was standing by the fence with her hands on her hips, her considerable bosom making her look more intimidating than usual. Her attendant/friend/partner in crime, Shizune stood nearby holding a pig. Izumo and Kotetsu were also there. I've never been quite clear on what their jobs are, but they always seem to be hanging around wherever the Hokage drops anchor. It's a little creepy sometimes.

All of the other Konoha genins had come as well. Hinata, Kiba and Shino were talking under one of the various trees while Naruto, clearly working on his hyperactive image, was jumping around Sakura and Sasuke and quite possibly killing them via enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Neji, Tenten and Lee were doing… something… over on the other side of the field. I wasn't curious enough to go over and I was a little less than eager to go throwing myself into the path of Neji's discontent. After all, because of Lee's injury, their team wouldn't be able to take part in Tsunade's little test._ What a shame,_ I thought sardonically. _Looks like I'll be denied the utter_pleasure_of taking on Neji._

As if my thinking had caused it, the three of them began to approach. Well, they couldn't fight, but they could certainly watch. And think snide things. I figure.

"Niwaka-san!" Lee shouted as he waved to me.

"Hi Lee," I said. "How are you feeling?"

"Stronger every day," he replied, flexing his arm. I swear I could see the 'fires of youth' burning in his eyes. "Even as a cripple—no _especially_ as a cripple—I can't let myself fall to disappointment. I aspire to be the _best_of all cripples. I will be the kage of cripples!" He pumped his fist down, face set in determination. Behind him, Neji grimaced and Tenten smacked herself in the forehead.

I grinned at Lee, completely ready to indulge him in all of his ridiculous statements. "That sounds like the best plan ever," I said. "I'll be the first to ally myself with you as kage of all buttinskies."

Lee's grin widened, if possible, and shook me by the arm. "With our combined skills and authority, we'll be unstoppable!"

"I'm right there with you," I said. "Who needs ninjas anyway?"

Shikamaru cleared his throat, starting to look a little annoyed. "Niwaka, don't start talking like that right before we have a review."

"Let me guess," I said. "I need to be at maximum enthusiasm for us not to fail because you're too lazy to care." Chouji and Lee smirked; Shikamaru just glowered. "I think I can handle that. You're a chuunin, anyway, so you don't exactly _need_ to care. But considering that you're the best member of our team—you being a chuunin and everything—the only way we do even slightly better than mediocre is if you're helping."

"Keep piling the pressure on," said Shikamaru wryly.

"But not too much," Chouji added.

"You're right," I said. "If I make it sound like our future depends on him and him alone, I'll spook him and he'll run off. Just like a—"

"A deer. Because my family raises deer. I get the joke, Niwaka," Shikamaru grumbled.

I blinked. "Oh, actually I was going to say 'boy'. That's what boys do. But I guess deer do that too. Among other—"

"Attention all genin teams!" We all whipped around and straightened our backs as soon as we heard Tsunade's voice. "We're ready to begin the review." She surveyed the groups critically and then glanced behind her, where a small crowd was forming. I saw Asuma and Kakashi as well as Kurenai and Gai. I glimpsed Kiba's mother and sister on one side and Chouji's father on the other. Even Hyuuga Hiashi had come, but I tried to ignore that.

"Ready?" I whispered to Shikamaru.

I received an unenthusiastic grunt in reply.

"Each team will be paired against another to gauge individuals' strengths and weaknesses," Tsunade went on. Within the matchups, each genin will fight one—and only one—genin from the other team. If there is any interference between battles, we will have to reevaluate you." Her eyes passed over each of our faces in turn. "We do value teamwork above all else, but this is not a trick test," she said. "We are solely here to study the balance of strengths within each team. Is that understood?" We all nodded quickly. "Good. Now, as Rock Lee is pending an operation for his injuries received during the Chuunin Exam, he will not be fighting. In order to make up for this inequity, Nara Shikamaru will also not be taking part in today's review." My mouth fell open and I dimly heard Shikamaru begin to protest, but Tsunade silenced him with a look. "Shikamaru, you are already a chuunin, so there is little need for me to study your abilities as a _genin._" She raised her eyebrows and when Shikamaru turned his head, looking vexed, she continued. "Therefore, the remaining members of Team Gai and Team Asuma will be paired together, leaving Team Kakashi and Team Kurenai as opponents. You may decide your individual opponents now. In ten minutes, the review will begin."

A low buzz of chatter rose around us as the other genins started considering their options. Neji and Tenten dragged Lee away from us and the two of them began exchanging whispers as they glanced our way every few seconds.

While Shikamaru glared in Tsunade's direction, I sighed. "Okay, Chouji, it's you and me and nobody else and we're going to dominate."

Chouji's mouth quivered slightly and he tugged on his scarf. "I suppose so…"

"So who do we want to fight?" I asked.

Chouji slid his eyes from side to side nervously. "Please let me fight Tenten," he said. "That Neji guy is creepy!"

"Dang it, I wanted to fight Tenten," I said with a slight pout. Clearly, any situation that involved being in Neji's vicinity turned me into a bratty five-year-old. "Neji will rip me to shreds!"

"Actually," said Shikamaru, turning back to us, "I think that will work well. When you talk to them about it, Neji will want to fight you, Niwaka, because of that fight you had with Gaara. He won't pass up the chance to take you on himself. But on the other hand, Tenten will take you, Chouji, because she underestimates you. She only remembers your battle in the preliminaries. I don't know how much _she's_ improved, but we both know you've got tricks up your sleeve." He grinned at Chouji, who grinned back.

"Fine," I mumbled. "Chouji, you go rampaging to victory while my face gets acquainted with the dirt."

"Stop being so negative," said Shikamaru. "You've got your Written Words, plus your Porcelain Warriors and—"

"Okay, that's all good and fine, but he's going to _eat me alive_. Do you know how many times I've expressed my disdain for him? Hundreds. Thousands. I've lost count. But the point is he probably has a big ugly vengeance complex for people like me."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, letting out a deep breath. "Honestly, Niwaka, I think he cares less about the fact that you insult him every other minute and more about how annoying you are."

I frowned and then looked at Chouji. He shrugged at me and I crossed my arms. "Okay, that's a valid point."

"Chouji-kun, Niwaka-san?" I turned to find Tenten standing with Neji at her shoulder. "Do you know how you want to do this?"

"Hai," I said. "How do you feel about fighting Chouji while I fight Neji?"

She nodded and there was a competitive edge to her smile. "Perfect."

I reached my hand in my pocket to brush my fingers against my Words and Warriors, making sure I hadn't left any at home on my desk or in the dress I'd worn the day before. It was amazing how many times I could ruin training or practice skirmishes just by being a slob. Neji eyed me, face smooth and calculating. I raised my eyebrows at him before twisting around to talk to Shikamaru.

"If I win, can I have free reign over your hair for an hour?" I asked him.

His eyes widened. "What? Are you crazy?"

"No," I scoffed. "I just—" He glared, half irritated and half confused. "Well, I was thinking the other day about how your hair always looks all spiky and what have you and I want to see if I can train it to do something more interesting."

He didn't get a chance to properly berate me because Tsunade started shouting about the beginning of the review. I was going to be a part of the first wave. As I moved into the center of the field with Chouji, Neji and Tenten, I glanced back at the crowd. _Come on, come on_, I thought. _You have to be here… You have to—ah!_ There was Gaman, lounging against one of the fence posts and watching me. He never could resist a public spectacle. Or making a spectacle of himself. I was counting on that part of him to help me decided. Well, we would see.

Neji positioned himself across the field from me while Chouji squared off against Tenten about a hundred meters away. I checked my supplies one more time, willing myself to be confident. Naruto had beaten Neji, hadn't he? _Naruto's got a demon fox sealed inside him and he's got stubbornness that a rock would envy_, I reminded myself. I was just little old me. Will a pocketful of knickknacks._ Don't think that way! It's a pocketful of_awesome_knickknacks. Plus, remember how much you don't like Neji? Perfect opportunity for taking out your frustration._ I didn't want to seem so shallow while participating in an official review, but if it took my pettiness to take the edge off of my nerves, then so be it.

"Begin!" Tsunade shouted from the sidelines.

I ripped out a scroll as Neji raced toward me at lightning speed. I just barely managed to avoid the first blow from his gentle fist technique. I always forgot how fast people were when I fought them. And Neji was pretty damn speedy.

I didn't try to hit him. I put all of my concentration into avoiding his hands, since I knew he would get me first if I so much as thought about striking him. One of his hands sliced dangerously close to my hip and I leapt up, opening the scroll and forming my seals. As I landed, Kusari appeared in front of me and deflected Neji's next attack with his katana.

"Would it kill you to summon us before you put yourself into mortal danger?" he demanded as Neji retreated.

"It's not exactly fair," I said. "Besides, you can handle it." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chouji and Tenten in the midst of a clash; her scrolls of weapons were flying at Chouji, who was deflecting them with the kunais wrapped around his Human Meat Tank.

I directed my attention back to Neji and saw him activate his Byakugan and look Kusari over with some interest. Of course, he had been unconscious when I fought with Gaara, so he had never seen him before. Before he could start attacking again, I whispered to Kusari, "You're just here to protect me, understand? Don't take any swings at him. He'll exploit any opening you give him."

"Oh, so he's really that special?" Kusari pursed his lips and lifted his katana. "Okay, Niwaka, whatever you say. Do you have a plan?"

"Uh… No…"

"_What?_Are you completely insane?"

"Yes, now shut up." Neji was approaching again. Fast. Kusari brought his katana up just in time to block his fist, but Neji was much faster. The katana was large enough so that Neji had to spread his attacks over a larger span in order to have a chance at hitting me or Kusari. There was no way I could get to him through taijutsu—even Soushi wasn't fast enough to do any damage to him and either way, I didn't want to spread my chakra any thinner, but Kusari would tire soon and I would be defenseless.

Neji's blows continued to rain on the katana and I—in all my incredible macho power—began to sing.

I shrieked out a note that was so high I thought it might disappear into the stratosphere. That was always the key to starting an Elemental Song of fire. High to start, lower to control. As I had planned, a wreath of fire sprung up from the ground around Neji. He continued to attack, leaping over it to come at Kusari from another angle. Kusari shifted to keep me covered. Finally done sustaining the note, I trailed down into a more comfortable range and trilled my tongue forming my hands into a few seals to make it easier. The fire writhed on the grass and leapt up as I willed it with my Song. It billowed, separating from the ground and rolling through the air, surrounding Neji in flame. Again, he leapt aside and charged from another direction, but I forced the fire to follow him, letting it grow and spread to form a ring around Kusari and me. Eventually, Neji had to back away again.

"See, I have a plan," I muttered to Kusari. "A cogent plan. A coherent plan. And I—"

Without warning I flew backwards and crashed to the ground, the wind completely knocked out of me. I had forgotten about Neji's Heavenly Spin. Kusari landed a few meters away, his katana landing on his head with a sickening crack. In a puff of smoke, he disappeared. I lunged to my feet and immediately scrabbled backward as Neji's fist came straight at my face. I jumped backward, recalling my fire from behind. Luckily, it hadn't burned out yet and with another piercing high note I was able to fuel it enough so that Neji had to dodge the incoming blaze. I sung it around me again for a barrier, but I knew that that wouldn't protect me from another round of Heavenly Spin. He knew it too. I saw him preparing for it and in a moment of desperation, I dove at him, coating my fist in flames and aimed at his side. He pulled away smoothly, turning his dodge into a strike and I had to roll backward to avoid it. To my satisfaction, the side of his jacket had been singed enough to reveal a small patch of pink flesh.

That was about the time I felt my chest seize up and I crumpled to the ground, gasping for air. He'd gotten me.

I spread out my arms and lay there for several moments, looking up at the sky. Oh well, I had known I wouldn't win. Neji had all the strengths that I didn't. Plus, he had that whole genius thing going for him. But whatever. I didn't have to be a sore loser.

Just as my breaths started coming easier, I saw a hand pop up in front of my eyes. I reached up and took it before lurching to my feet. I was unsteady but I could walk. Neji released my hand as soon as he saw that I wouldn't collapse. A round of applause rose from the spectators as we returned to the fence.

Before Neji went to stand by Lee and Tenten, he nodded at me. "It was a good battle."

I half-smiled. "Nice of you to say. I thought so too."

A second later, Shikamaru was there to lend me his shoulder for support. "Do you need a medic?" he asked.

"No, I'll be fine," I said. "Chouji?"

Shikamaru grinned. "He won."

"He—are you serious?"

"Hai."

"No way! Where is he?" I whipped my head around trying to find him, but I started coughing and Shikamaru forced me to stay still. "He's okay, isn't he?"

"He'll be fine," he said. "He has a few wounds from Tenten's weapons, but he ended up being able to overpower her in the end. You should have seen it."

"I wish I had," I said, frowning. "But I was a little preoccupied."

"You did well."

I smiled widely. "I burned him a little. Did you see?"

"Yes, I saw."

"Yeah, I was like—" I stopped short as I caught sight of Gaman in the crowd again. He was talking with Tsunade and the crowd had once again fallen silent.

"What is it?" asked Shikamaru.

"My plan," I said. "I think my patience is about to pay off."

I could hear the conversation from where I was, but I needed to be close. I started forward with Shikamaru right behind as I listened in. Gaman had introduced himself and was now explaining my entire history to Tsunade. The deal. My journey to Konoha. My renunciation of Umou. His return. Everything. Tsunade listened, her gaze as sharp as ever. When Gaman was done, he said, "As you can imagine, we would like for Niwaka to return to her old village. She is one of the only members of our new generation and we want her to carry on the traditions of our village. She has been stubborn about it and I feel that hearing some sense from you may affect her."

_Excellent_, I thought. I waited, holding my breath, for Tsunade's response.

"I don't see how I can help you," said Tsunade shortly. "After listening to your statements, I have to conclude that the agreement your village made with the Third Hokage is a binding contract. Of course, if Niwaka decided that she wanted to return with you, I would never keep her against her will, but until that happens—if ever—she belongs to us."

Gaman's mouth tightened and he glanced at me again. "If I may, Tsunade-sama, I would like to hear from Niwaka what her final say in the matter is."

"As you wish," said Tsunade. "_Niwaka!_"

Even though I knew it was coming, I must have hopped a foot into the air. Shikamaru helped me over to where they were standing. "Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

"To which village does—"

"Konoha," I blurted out. Gaman looked like he might be sick. "I want to stay in Konoha," I said, quieter this time. Shikamaru's grip on my arm tightened.

Tsunade looked from me to Gaman and crossed her arms with a definitive shake of her pigtails. "I trust that her word is enough for you?"

"Yes," he mumbled. "Arigato." He sent me a meaningful glance and blended back into the crowd. Tsunade announced that the next match would get started and she shooed me away.

As I hobbled back to where Neji, Lee and Tenten were standing, Shikamaru said, "I knew you were going to stay."

"Is that so?" I asked.

"Of course. You wouldn't be able to live without Chouji and me. Who would you pester?"

"You've got me there," I admitted. "You're my favorite target."

"I feel so special," he said dryly. "Anyway, I'm glad that's finally out of the way. You can be so dramatic sometimes."

"Well, you know me."

* * *

**And there it is, ladies and gentlemen. You may have noticed that my writing style has changed a bit from the last time. I think it's better, but who knows?**

**I hope you enjoyed it. Well, Niwaka's sticking around. As if she would ever leave. I mean geez, she's got it so bad for Shikamaru, how could she? Oh and her battle with Neji... Kind of an epic fail. But let's be real, he's just kind of better at fighting.**

**STAY TUNED.**


	17. Useless

**Well, this chapter came out much sooner than I had expected. I swear I wasn't lying when I said I was back. I finally have time to write without anything hanging over my head, so I'm hoping I can make a lot of progress with this story.**

**Some of you guys may have seen this coming because of where we are in the Naruto timeline. I'm not feeling very witty or wordy right now, so I'll just let you read now.**

* * *

The night after the review, I stayed outside for the night reclining on a tree branch near my cottage. It was a clear night, clear and cool. The stars were twinkling down at me from the sky as if clamoring for my attention. I closed my eyes as I laced my fingers behind my head. Now that I was certain I was staying, I suddenly felt like I had nothing to do and no reason to sleep. After all, what did I have to worry about?_ Well, for starters, Orochimaru is out somewhere doing evil things, I have to somehow wrangle up the ability to heal, and every time I so much as look at Shikamaru I feel like a moron. _But of course, I wasn't going to think about anything like that until I absolutely had to. That was the way I operated.

With a sigh, I reached into my pocket to find Soratsume. It was long past time I sorted some things out with her and with myself. For a moment, I considered bringing out Joucho or Kumoboufuu, but I left them in my pocket for the time being.

Once I had awakened Soratsume, she opened her jaws in a long yawn and settled herself on the branch, watching me with tawny eyes. "I see you've decided to stay in Konoha," she said.

I nodded. "I think I knew I wanted to stay all along. But I still don't know—"

"If it was the right thing to do?"

I grimaced. "Sort of. But not in those terms. I hate it when people say that something is the right thing to do. Does anyone really know what 'right' is anyway? No. It's just a patronizing way of telling somebody you know better and they're wrong."

"That isn't the first time you've heard that phrase today is it," Soratsume asked, switching her tail around. "Was it Gaman?"

Sighing, I leaned back against the trunk of the tree. "He came to talk to me after the review. You know how he is. He doesn't get angry. He hits you with the I'm-deeply-disappointed-in-you speech and makes you feel like a bug smashed on the pavement. He kept telling me that going back to Umou was the right thing to do and that I was deserting my family."

"And how do you feel about it?"

"Gotta tell you, it felt like a kick in the gut," I mumbled. "He didn't exactly do wonders for my self esteem. So do you think he's right?"

"That depends on you," said Soratsume. "Do _you_ think he's right?"

"I think he has to learn to let go!" I said, crossing my arms and turning away from her. "Honestly, I weighed the ups and downs and there's nothing for me in Umou aside from him. I've learned my family's techniques and I can just as easily improve here. As much as I care about Gaman, he encouraged me to leave and he keeps trying to convince me that he knows me best. I have a_ team_ here. As far as I'm concerned, I did what was best for me. And if that's selfish, then whatever, but it's not like I'm damaging Umou's reputation or putting it in danger or anything."

Soratsume bared her teeth in what must have been a smile for a tiger. "Then I agree. Konoha will be good for you."

I 'hmphed'. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you weren't meant to stay in that tiny clan for your whole life. That's not what Heisei and Ketsui intended." Soratsume eyed me, flexing her claws on the tree branch.

"My parents?" I said. "As if their intentions matter anymore. They're dead. Very dead, in fact."

"Do you really think they didn't leave someone to help you?" Soratsume asked, becoming aggravated. "I served your mother as a Porcelain Warrior for eighteen years. Heisei knew that you would need guidance and so she told me to look after you."

I looked away, suddenly feeling my eyes water. I thought of my parents rarely, but there _were_ times that I wished to meet them. My Warriors were the only link to them that remained; I had inherited half of them from my mother and half from my father. The rest had been left with Okure for informational purposes. I stayed silent, thinking for a long while until something occurred to me. "Soratsume," I said, "The way you talked about my mother… You made it sound as if she knew she was going to die. What kind of mission was it that she and father left on?"

Soratsume's eyes became sad. "She didn't tell me. The Porcelain Warriors that you now possess were the ones left behind by Heisei and Ketsui before they departed. That kind of information belongs to the few Warriors who survived the mission and were found by your village."

"Right," I said. "Well, no use dwelling on it. That part of my life is over."

* * *

I awoke on the tree branch the next morning, sore and unwilling to do anything that resembled physical activity. Maybe if I worked up the energy, I would go down and cook myself something, but I was far too lazy. I would just go buy something and sit around. _Ye gods, I'm turning into Shikamaru_, I thought with horror. _He can't do this to me! That freak!_ Just then, I resolved to run at least a lap around the village before I rewarded myself with food. Maybe that would wake me up a little. Or I would collapse and die on the ground.

I managed to climb down from the tree without damaging myself and let myself into my house. For some reason the door latch was broken—I had probably gotten it caught when I went outside the night before. I changed into a clean dress before charging out of my door and down the streets of Konoha. It was still early, but most of the villagers were already out and about. I waved to the ones who I knew as I jogged and continued cheerfully toward the outskirts of town. Come to think, Chouji's house sat directly on my route around the village; I could always convince him to be my running partner. Well, if I tried really hard it could work.

But when arrived in front of Chouji's door and knocked, no one answered. I frowned, rapping my knuckles hard against the wood. Nothing. "He can't possibly have left," I muttered. "It's way too early for him." I shrugged it off and continued my run. I would come back in a half hour or so and maybe he'd be at least half-awake. When the same thing happened at Shikamaru's house, I started to get worried. Where in the name of all things holy was my team? I had seen them just the night before and there was no possible way they would have gone to training this early. As I stalked away from Shikamaru's door, I gave up on my run and instead began to circle the village in search of any ninja who may have caught a glimpse of my teammates. Maybe they had sleepwalked. Together. Or maybe they had been kidnapped? Eaten? These were all very valid possibilities.

I was still thinking on it as I wandered around the village, completely unmindful of my hunger pangs. By the time I reached the village gates, I was stalking outright and I was not planning on stopping until somebody told me exactly what was going on. Luckily, I ran into Lee and Sakura standing by the stone stairs at the front of the village. Sakura looked like she had been crying and Lee was sitting with his crutch with a defeated expression on his face.

"Lee! Sakura!" I rushed over to them, nearly tripping over the cobbles in the road. "Something seriously messed up is going on! I just went to go find Shikamaru and Chouji and their houses are_ deserted_! It's like—"

"They went on a mission," said Lee.

"Yeah, just like that! Except—" I stopped to narrow my eyes at Lee. "They did _what _now?"

"Shikamaru and Chouji left on a mission this morning," said Sakura, "with Naruto, Kiba and Neji."

Well, that was certainly news to me. I sat down hard on the road and pulled my knees up to my chest, preparing to sulk for however long it took me to get over my abandonment. "What mission?" I asked, feeling myself pout.

Sakura looked like she was going to answer, but her mouth trembled and she turned away, wiping her eye. I sat up, concerned. Lee waved for me to come over, sending pitying glances at Sakura. Hurriedly, I crept over to where he was sitting.

"Lee, what is going _on?"_ I demanded.

He sighed, leaning his arms on his crutch. "It seems that Sasuke-kun has left the village of Konoha."

"Sasuke," I repeated. "Well, of course, it's always Sasuke making our lives dramatic, isn't it? Where's he going and why the hell is he gone at all."

Lee leaned forward, holding his hand up to his mouth. "He's trying to find Orochimaru. For training."

I stared. "You're joking, right?" I asked, voice flat. "This is clearly a horrible conspiracy and you're probably trying to trick me so that I'll be embarrassed and forever disgraced by my own gullibility. Well, am I right? Do I get a prize?"

Lee shook his head dolefully. "It's all true. Apparently Sasuke-kun might have Sound ninja escorting him, but Tsunade-sama had no jounins or chuunins to spare apart from Shikamaru. She assigned him to gather as many genin as he could before taking pursuit. That's how the others got involved. "

"_What?"_ I was just about ready to yank out all of my hair. "Who does he think he is? He was gathering genin! _I'm _a genin! He didn't want to bring me? Some teammate _he _is. The next time he gets himself into some kind of situation that his little genius brain can't get him out of, I'm going to leave him cold and alone and in some kind of severe discomfort and—"

"Wait, Niwaka-chan!" Lee brought his hands up as if to protect himself from my tirade of furious word violence. "Shikamaru did want to bring you!"

I stopped short and my forehead creased. "He did? Well then why am I not out there pummeling some Sound ninja into submission?"

"He said he couldn't find you," Lee said. "He went to your house and you didn't answer. He said he even broke the lock and went in, but you weren't there." He paused. "Also, he said your room looks like a rats' nest."

I barely heard the last part because I was too busy smacking my forehead repeatedly. "The one night I choose to sleep outside and I miss out on this! Their chances of survival are terrible without me around. My Porcelain Warriors are perfect for recon."

Lee blinked and pressed his finger to his chin. "Actually, Niwaka-chan, since Neji has his Byakugan and everything, I think they'll be perfectly fine with—"

"Genjutsu! Who's going to be able to use genjutsu for them, huh?"

"I mean, they all know how to dispel that kind of thing pretty well and—"

"Okay, fine, they're all great and talented and all that," I said with a grimace. "I get it."

"Uh, I'm lost," said Lee, scratching his head and smiling. "Was I supposed to be comforting you by saying they don't need you or by agreeing that they _do_ need you?"

I sighed and sat down next to him. "Honestly, either one would have done. You do make it sound like they have everything under control."

Of course, if those five crazy boys had everything under control, then that meant I was stuck without training partners for however long. After I finished talking to Lee, I wandered over to our usual training spot to see if I could find Asuma; he was nowhere in sight. I was too diligent a ninja to skip out on my training anyway, so I started practicing taijutsu on one of the dummies set up around the perimeter of the field. Before long, I had worked myself into a rhythm and I was finally starting to accept the fact that Shikamaru and Chouji were on a dangerous—possibly even fatal—mission and that there was nothing I could do about it. And so, as I continued to pound on the dummy, I realized three things:

1. Sometimes things in the world happen and make people (such as me) very unhappy.

2. Usually nothing can be done about these things and we little people have to just buck up and deal with them.

3. Despite the impossibility of success, I would probably continue to attempt to thwart these unfortunate circumstances and, after failing miserably, end up broken and weeping on the ground somewhere. Every time.

After about an hour of taijutsu, I took out my scrolls for Broken Avalanche and Chilling Waterfall to work on. I was already starting to get bored. I didn't understand how some people enjoyed training alone. Did they just talk to themselves for hours on end? Maybe there was something to be said for the lack of distractions, but a few more minutes of solitary ninjutsu training and I was going to —

"Niwaka-san!" To my immense relief, I saw Izumo and Kotetsu striding across the field from the direction of the Academy.

_Oh, thank god. Please give me something to do. _As I walked over to meet them, I gave my dummy one last whack and collected the rest of my equipment from the ground nearby. "Hey you guys. What's up?"

"Tsunade-sama wants you to meet her for a healing lesson," said Kotetsu. "I hadn't heard that she was taking you on as an apprentice."

"Yeah, we were told that chakra control wasn't exactly your forte," Izumo added.

I raised my eyebrows at them. "I see my reputation precedes me," I said dryly. "Was it Asuma?"

"Asuma," they said together.

"Right. Enough about that. You said she wants to meet now? Okay, point me."

* * *

"Niwaka, stop twitching!" Tsunade smacked the back of my head none too lightly. "This fish is not going to heal itself and you have to stop looking out the window!"

"Gomen, Godaime-sama," I mumbled, turning back to the puny fish that was flopping on a table in front of me. It was my sixth in just an hour; really, it was a wonder I had managed to keep this one alive for longer than two minutes. Gritting my teeth, I pressed my hands together just over the fish and concentrated all of my energy on making it _not_ die. After a few moments, I paused, breathing hard and repeated the motion.

"Your chakra is all over the place!" Tsunade barked. "_Pinpoint_, Niwaka! You have to focus and streamline your efforts!"

I bit my lip before I could give her any backtalk. The fish had stopped flopping and I could already see its bulging eyes begin to grow dull. I took a deep breath, evening my concentration. I was calm. There wasn't a mission going on somewhere beyond the village gates. There was only me and this accursed fish. Keeping myself as mellow as possible, I raised my hands again and tried again. I felt a tiny connection—some kind of microscopic link between my chakra and the creature on the table. When I opened my eyes again, the fish was still motionless and all life had left its body. I sighed, clenching my fist.

"Your chakra control is abysmal," said Tsunade, looking almost impressed with the scope of my mediocrity. "I don't think I've ever seen a shinobi with such horrid skills."

At this point, I knew she wasn't insulting me so I only nodded weakly and said, "Yeah, I'm talented that way.

As I turned to grab the net near the table and catch yet another fish, she said, "You _are _improving. I'm impressed at your determination. Normally with your lack of control, I wouldn't bother teaching, but Asuma speaks highly of you."

"He definitely gives me more credit than I deserve," I said, "but I am flattered."

"We'll see," she said. "If you keep improving, you may be able to heal a bigger fish in a year or so."

With my back turned to her, I rolled my eyes, searching the pool next to me for another fish that I could try and fail to save. _Huzzah for me_, I thought. _And maybe by the time I die of old age, I'll have healed something that's not a fish._

After I'd caught another victim for my experiments in healing, I slapped it down on the parchment I was using and tried to calm myself again. I searched for the connection that I had made before, even if it was smaller than a pinprick. My hands ached with the chakra I was releasing and for a split second, I felt my control flicker. I pressed my will harder into my hands, gnashing my teeth so hard that I heard them grinding. I took a moment's pause to breathe and saw Tsunade watching me carefully. I straightened up and went back in for another try.

This went on for several more minutes. That fish died and I got another. As I continued with my chakra control, I felt my focus fading. Again I was thinking of Shikamaru and Chouji and the mission. How long was it going to take? If they were just retrieving Sasuke, couldn't they get back within the day? Was that possible? When I took short breaks between healing attempts, I snuck glances at the window to look at the position of the sun. The day was almost over. What was happening in that forest?

"Niwaka, what did I say about the window?" Tsunade asked sharply. "Get your head out of the clouds!"

Clouds. _Shikamaru loves clouds_, I thought dolefully. But now was not the time for worrying. "It won't happen again, Tsunade-sama." I turned from the window and grimaced down at the fish, which—like the others—had died. "I'll go get—"

"I'm worried about them too, Niwaka," said Tsunade. "This is a dangerous mission that they've set out on. But I have full confidence in Shikamaru's abilities to lead his team. There's nothing you can do at this point. I would suggest that you try to keep it off your mind."

"Hai," I said grudgingly. "The waiting is just so maddening."

"It is," she said. "Now go get another fish and we'll keep trying this. I want you to make this next one last for more than five minutes and I'm not letting you leave until you do that!"

I nodded, setting my jaw. "Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

The next morning, the Sasuke Retrieval Squad still hadn't returned and I was about ready to snap. As soon as I woke up, I burrowed back into my covers, trying to force myself back to sleep—time would pass more quickly if I was sleeping—but my nerves kept me awake and I pulled myself out of bed. If I couldn't pass the day snoozing, then I had to do something. Staying active was the only way I could keep my worry off my mind. By noon I had run six laps around the village and even after that I was still jittery. Once I had finished that, I had nothing left to do but the unthinkable: I decided to clean my house.

For nearly a half an hour, I just sat on the floor in the middle of my bedroom, staring around at all of my dirty clothes and the junk that I had been collecting since my move to Konoha. There were dirty dishes lying around all over the place and some mice had gotten into one of my drawers of clothes and bitten holes into several of my good pairs of pants. The prospect of actually working on cleaning seemed hopeless, but eventually I picked up one of my dresses from the floor and tossed it into my laundry basket. After another minute or so, I worked up the motivation to get another. And then another. Eventually, I had a rhythm going and tidying didn't seem so bad. After all, it was keeping Shikamaru and Chouji out of my thoughts and the next day, I would probably thank myself for organizing the chaos of my living conditions.

I got bored with cleaning after an hour, though, so that didn't last long. Even housework wasn't mind-numbing enough to distract me. Late in the afternoon, I found myself wandering to the front gates of the village and just standing there, looking out into the forest beyond. Sakura was there as well, sitting on a bench and looking twice as miserable as I felt. I sat next to her. We didn't speak, but all the same, we watched for any sign of movement together, waiting for our friends to come back safe.

* * *

**That's too bad for Niwaka, being left behind and all that. But oh well. Maybe she'll learn not to be so uptight someday. And she finally started learning to heal! Hoorah! Too bad she's so bad at it.**

**Peace, love and things.**


	18. I Don't Do Awkward

**Oh hi. Looks like it's been a while since my last update. My bad. I've been pretty busy over the past few months (legit busy, not fake busy—as in staying at school 'til 9 o'clock busy) and this chapter just sort of came upon me now that I'm out of school. I needed to take a break from my senior project shenanigans and this is what I was doing. Get ready for some interesting stuff to happen. I dunno how many people still read this, but this chapter sheds light on a few things that people may have been wondering about... Well, we'll see. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

"Gone? Lee's _gone?"_ I stared at Kumoboufuu and Gami, the crane of the Porcelain Warriors, feeling like I had just had all of the air forcibly removed from my lungs. "How can he be gone? He just went through surgery! He's on a crutch!"

"Niwaka-sama," said Gami, "we've searched for him like you asked, but we haven't seen him." He shifted on his long legs and ruffled his feathers. "I'm sorry, but he's completely off the map."

"You can't be serious…" I pushed my hand through my hair. "All I wanted to do was go hang out with him. I even pulled you guys out, and now he's gone and I'm freaking out. I bet he went after Sasuke like the others. In his condition, he's going to get himself killed. Can you tell how badly I'm freaking out?"

"With all due respect," said Kumoboufuu, "I think you're handling this entire situation rather well."

"Kumoboufuu, you know I would never be so… so _spastic_ on a normal day," I said. "I don't know. Maybe I've always been this jumpy, but if I was, I don't remember it."

Kumoboufuu's beak opened as if he wanted to say something, but he closed it and folded his wings behind him. Gami, meanwhile, arched his long neck and eyed me. Neither spoke.

"Thanks anyway guys," I said, sighing. "I guess I should go look for something to do. I'll see you later."

"Until next time, Niwaka-sama," said Gami as he folded his wings.

With another sigh, I let my chakra come back to me from the porcelain figurines and they each fell to the floor with a light clatter. I retrieved them and dropped them in my pocket before leaning against my bedroom wall and sucking in my cheek. Shikamaru and Chouji and now Lee. Everyone except Sakura and me was on a mission. At what point was I supposed to go mad and run after them? No, what good could I do them now? Even right after surgery, Lee had speed and strength far beyond what I could achieve at my best. From what I had heard, Tsunade had already sent her best medical teams, including Shizune, to find whoever they could and bring them back to the village. Obviously I was doomed to waste away, marinating in all of my uselessness before I could see any of my friends again. All the same, maybe if I…

I smacked myself hard in the head and then yanked on a lock of my hair for good measure. _Be calm_, I told myself, willing my face to settle and smooth. _Remember when you used to be coolheaded? What happened to you, Niwaka? This is what comes of living in the Fire Country. Everyone here is_hot_headed._For a moment, I felt relaxed, like the Niwaka who had first come to Konoha almost a year ago. Had it been that long? Maybe the real question was: had it really been so recently?

"Konoha is my home," I said aloud. I rolled the words around in my mouth. "_Konoha_ is my home. Konoha _is_ my home. Konoha is _my_ home." I wrinkled my nose in thought before saying finally, "Konoha is my _home._My… home…"Rubbing my forehead, I frowned. What was a home? A split second later, I hit myself in the head again and rolled my eyes up to the ceiling. "Don't you start getting deep and existential, Niwaka," I said. "This is no time for heartfelt revelations. If it's your home, then it's your frickin' home and what do you do when your home's in trouble? You go out and defend it and you bash in the heads of anyone who tries to do it wrong."

Finally, I knew what I was doing. I jumped up from my bed, straightened my dress, checked my pockets for my warriors and scrolls and weapons and other supplies. Within a few minutes, I was jogging down the road outside my cottage. Maybe I couldn't help them—after all, that was probably a fair estimation on my part—but one more ninja was always an advantage. Let Tsunade break my face and beat me to bloody bits. That couldn't be worse than sitting around like a dope.

I rounded a corner just before I got to the huge flight of steps at the front of Konoha and I slowed to a walk as I approached the gates. "Ready or not…" I muttered. I broke into a run so that I wouldn't have time to regret what I was about to do, but right before my foot made it across the threshold, I was pushed unceremoniously out of the way and I fell face-flat into the dirt. Spitting out bits of dust, I lifted my head to glare at the passersby. Then my scowl slid off like butter, replaced by complete and utter shock.

A squad of medical ninjas was sprinting down the street toward the hospital and one of them was lugging a body on his back. My eyes widened as I recognized Chouji's clothing and chestnut hair. But… That couldn't be _Chouji_ they were bringing back. I pushed myself to my feet, staring after the ninjas in a daze. He was at least twice as chubby as the boy they had been carrying. There was no way. Or was there? "Oh hell!" I shouted up to the sky, clenching my fists. "I think I would know what my teammates look like. Doubt be damned. _Wait up!"_ I tore after the squad of ninjas, running as fast as my legs would manage. "_CHOUJI, I'M COMING!"_

* * *

Another half an hour later I was sitting on a bench outside of one of the hospital's intensive care units. Chouji was inside with Tsunade and I was stuck waiting and worrying and tearing the hair out of my scalp one strand at a time. I had no idea what was going on in there and I was certainly not important enough to be told. I tried to stop a few of the medical ninjas who ran out or into the chamber, but few even bothered to respond and the ones that did either shouted back with words too rushed to be coherent or just yelled at me to get out of the way.

So I sat and I worried and I speculated and I worried some more and just when my worrying reached its all time high, there was another team of ninjas tearing down the hallway, bearing another badly broken body. I leapt to my feet and ran after them when they turned into another corridor. They were heading toward a different section of the emergency ward and I sped up to see who they had, since I knew none of them would reply if I asked. My feet flying along the floor, I managed to catch a glimpse of Neji's long hair and bandaged arms before they hustled him into the room and the door slammed in my face.

I leaned against the wall, breathing hard. So Chouji and Neji were already down and who knew what had happened to the others? Chouji and Neji were at least alive—seriously wounded, as anyone could see from the urgency with which the medics were working, but alive all the same. And I had every confidence that Tsunade would be able to _keep_ them alive, seeing as she was the best healer around.

Hours passed. I was barely aware of time. I paced between hallways and sat outside of ICU 6, Chouji's room, until I just couldn't handle it anymore. I even switched to ICU 7, where Neji was being treated, just to have a change of scenery. The medics continued to run about. I began to think I must have died and been consigned to hell.

I trudged back to ICU 6, too worn out to have any expectations. Shizune rushed past me as I walked, but I knew she would answer no questions, so I didn't even try. I tried not to get my hopes up. But when I saw what waited for me in the hallway outside of Chouji's chamber, my feet slowed to a stop and I could only stare.

Shikamaru was standing in the middle of the corridor, gloriously, perfectly, beautifully _alive_ and behind him, Shikaku leaned against the wall. Tsunade sat on a bench with Shizune. I swept over them once, but after that, I had eyes only for Shikamaru. There were tears streaming down his face and dripping on the floor below. I had never seen Shikamaru cry and it was scaring me.

"Next time… I will carry out the mission perfectly," I heard him whisper.

So the mission hadn't been a success. Or had it? Was somebody dead? Endless questions flashed through my thoughts, but above all that, there was only relief. And I couldn't handle it anymore. With a wild cry I ran at Shikamaru. He barely had time to look up before I smashed into him, knocking all of the air out of his body. For the longest time, I couldn't find any words to say and I was putting too much pressure on his lungs for him to make any sound at all.

As I let go of him, I beamed, trying my best not to seem weepy. One of us crying was enough. "I knew you'd come back," I said, "and here you are. I must be psychic."

Shikamaru scrubbed his hand across his eyes and a small laugh escaped him, almost a hiccup. "Yeah. You're really gifted."

"You're not… you're not hurt, are you?" I asked, looking him up and down to find any trace of injury.

He held up his hand—his index finger was wrapped and set to a splint. "Nothing serious. I got off easy." He looked toward ICU 6. "Chouji and Neji were—they got…" He sighed deeply. "We almost lost them, but Tsunade and Shizune were able to stabilize them before their wounds became fatal." He paused and dropped his head for a moment.

I reached out, uncertain. "Shikamaru? Are you—?"

Before I knew what was happening, Shikamaru was hugging me tightly and I could only stand there and let him; I couldn't fathom what was happening. "I missed you, Niwaka," he mumbled.

I patted Shikamaru's back nervously, trying to think of something to say that wasn't sappy, insincere, too sarcastic, just stupid, or a whole bunch of other things that would ruin the moment. In the end, I had to decide on an old classic. "I missed you too," I said. Then I figured it needed a personal touch. "Loser."

Shikamaru laughed and let go of me, the tearstains starting to fade from his cheeks. "Never one to sugarcoat things, are you?"

I shrugged, smiling. "I know you can handle my unadulterated honesty."

"It takes work, but I do it." Shikamaru gave me a wry smile and then patted me on the shoulder once. "I should go see Naruto. Sasuke wasn't retrieved." He frowned at that, but then seemed to remember something. "Oh, by the way, Niwaka, you should know." He stepped to the side, letting me get a clear view of the bench across from Tsunade. "The reason we made it out alive was the Sand." As my gaze found Temari, I started and I could already feel myself tensing up. "Temari saved my life and Kankuro was the one who brought Kiba back. Suna and Konoha are allies now, as strange as it seems."

I felt sick to my stomach, but I nodded. "I see. Strange…" Strange was a horrible understatement. "Anyway, you go to Naruto." I forced a smile, trying to grab onto my cheerful attitude before it fled.

After he left, I stood there for a little longer, not knowing what else to do. Shikaku had already slipped away and Shizune had led Tsunade away to inspect Neji. The best thing I could do was to wait for Chouji to regain consciousness. I sat in Tsunade's spot across from Temari, clasping my hands in front of me and keeping completely still so that I could pretend I was invisible.

After only a few minutes, I was feeling awkward. Awkward isn't me. Awkward and I don't belong together. I should have hightailed it out of there when Shikamaru left, but there I was. And it was awkward. Just when I thought I might have to run out and go hide, I opened my mouth and blurted out, "Thanks. For saving Shikamaru." I fiddled with my hands, not looking at her. When I heard no response, I risked a peek and was shocked to see that she was smiling.

"He takes a lot of looking after, doesn't he?" she asked.

I sighed with relief. I hadn't known what kind of attitude to expect from her after the situation at the Chuunin Exam, and her friendliness was certainly welcome, especially after my marathon of worrying. "An _awful_ lot," I replied. "He calls women troublesome, but sometimes I think we're the only people who keep him in line."

"That's probably true." Temari shifted, crossing her legs. "You know, I was surprised that Shikamaru didn't pick you for the mission. He seems to rely on you a lot."

Was it my imagination or did she sound the slightest bit jealous? I shook off the suspicion quickly. "Maybe… Well, apparently he wanted to bring me, but it didn't work out."

"Why is that?"

"I was sleeping in a tree."

Temari blinked at me. "Oh," was all she said.

"It doesn't sound plausible, but that's what happened," I said. "Anyway, it doesn't matter now. He and Chouji got back alive and so did the others. Shikamaru mentioned that Kankuro was creeping around here somewhere?"

"Somewhere," said Temari, rolling her eyes. "He and Gaara are probably just wandering around."

I felt my face go pale. Gaara was here too? Couldn't they have just left him at Sunagakure? Did they _really_ have to bring him all the way over here? Well, all of my plans to go out in public were ruined now. I couldn't go anywhere that he might _see_ me. It was unthinkable. This time it was my turn to say, "Oh." I folded my hands in my lap, attempting to seem more composed and less likely to bolt like a skittish horse.

"Actually, I think Gaara was interested in talking to you while he was here," said Temari.

"Does he want to pummel me for being a patronizing and nosy freak?" I muttered.

Temari looked at me for a moment before smirking. "I don't think that was the reason. But it's good of you to admit you were in the wrong."

"In the wrong is a good way of putting it," I said, nodding my head slowly. "Even better, I was swimming in wrong, _drowning_ in wrong. I was wrapped up and chained by shackles of wrong. Yeah, wrong and I got very well acquainted."

"I'd have to agree," said Temari. "Honestly, I think you presumed far too much, but you must have had reasons for acting so confident around Gaara."

"Not good ones," I answered. I fiddled with my hands more and then finally sat back, looking Temari straight in the eye. "I had one of my Porcelain Warriors Read his soul one day. She said something about heaps and heaps of murderous intent and just a drop of loneliness. I've got a soft spot for lonely people, I guess."

"Soft spots will get you killed," Temari said flatly.

"Maybe so," I said with a dry smile, "but I think I like that better than being rock-hard all over." I raised one eyebrow at her.

Temari's smile had turned thin, but I knew then that the two of us had an understanding—a mutual respect. "You're an interesting ninja, Nyuushin Niwaka," she said.

My mouth twitched. "And you're a damn good one," I replied.

* * *

When I answered a knock at my door two days later, I wasn't surprised to see Shikamaru and Lee standing outside, looking so determined that my first instinct was the shut the door in their faces. I almost did, but before I could fully develop my escape plan, Shikamaru said, "You see, Lee? She's been holed up in here for two whole days and someone needs to get her out."

"I see what you mean," said Lee, nodding seriously.

I backed away from the doorway, hands on my hips. "So did you come here to observe me in my natural habitat or do you want to come in?"

"Neither," said Shikamaru. "You need to get out of this dump."

"I don't think so," I said, crossing my arms. "I'm perfectly happy where I am."

"Listen." Lee held out his hands, smiling. "I know you don't want to run into Gaara and Kankuro, but they've really turned around. Gaara saved my—"

"Quiet!" I hissed. I scanned the area in front of us quickly and then retreated further into my cottage. "Look, I can't handle talking to either of them. I got off easy with Temari. She's a girl. I can handle girls just fine, but when I'm awkward around boys I'm _really_ awkward. I don't do awkward!"

Shikamaru and Lee exchanged glances. "Do you see this?" Shikamaru asked. "It's ridiculous."

"You're ridiculous," I said.

"Please come out, Niwaka-san?" Lee asked with a nervous smile.

I pursed my lips and then said, "I'll come out when the Sand have left or you'll drag me out of here and both suffer for it."

Lee sighed, his arms swinging down by his knees. "I don't think this is going to work," he said. "I'll see you later, Niwaka-san."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at me before turning. I slumped in my doorway, glaring after them and almost had the chance to go inside. I say almost, because before I could even think about turning around, I felt my body grow rigid and I couldn't move. Ahead of me, Shikamaru had stopped walking, with his hands in his pockets. It took me another moment to realize that my hands were also in my pockets. I wanted to rail and curse at him, but I couldn't bring myself to. _That sneaky little…_ I didn't even have time to finish the thought because I was walking forward with Shikamaru leading in the strictest sense of the word.

Lee shut my front door and then rushed up beside me and grinned widely. "Sorry," he said, "but we had to figure out some way to get you out of your house."

"I guess I can forgive that," I said as Shikamaru walked me along. "It's pretty clear that you all can't live without me."

"You don't need to use this as an excuse to make your head any bigger," said Shikamaru.

"_My_ head is big?" I asked, smiling forward at him. "You're the one who keeps a pineapple of hair on that back of your skull. Plus, that IQ of yours must take up quite a bit of space."

"Better to have a head full of knowledge than whatever you carry around in yours," said Shikamaru.

Lee looked from Shikamaru to me, probably trying not to smile. I couldn't really tell because my face was still pointing forward. "Well, it's pretty obvious that you're teammates," he said.

"Yeah, ours is a loving relationship," I said. "Come on, Shikamaru, let me go. I promise I won't run off or anything. _Please?"_

"Alright, alright," he said and I immediately felt the pressure of the Shadow Imitation release me. "But if you go back in there I _will_ drag you out. We have to get started on our training again and the Hokage thinks Chouji will be ready to join us in only a couple of days."

"Good thing, too," I said. "Someone has to help me counteract your laziness." I elbowed Lee in the side and we grinned at each other. "Am I right?"

Shikamaru mumbled something (I didn't mind not knowing what it was) and just kept walking.

"So now that you've got me out, what am I supposed to do?" I asked. We were now walking down the village's main road near the Academy. "I was having a really good time staring at my wall, so—"

"They've appointed me as an instructor at the Academy," said Shikamaru, turning his head just slightly.

I frowned and then tapped Lee on the shoulder. "What does he need _me_ for?"

Lee shrugged. "Company?"

"Okay, I guess that's a _little_ more interesting than doing nothing."

Out in front of the Academy, a crowd of students was milling around, playing and otherwise engaging in entertaining activities. I spotted Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon among them, wearing their classic goggles. When they caught sight of us, a group of them rushed over with shouts of, "Shikamaru-sensei!" It was amazing how easily he wrangled his class together—I hadn't ever seen him deal with small children and I have to admit I was fascinated.

Lee stood by and began doing squats—he claimed that he had already tired out Gai and Tenten and so there was no point in joining them for training—while I sat nearby and watched Shikamaru teach them about… ninja footwear… or something. I was only half-listening.

"Now we're going to learn a little bit about techniques used for logistical support," Shikamaru was saying. I was paying more attention to the way his mouth moved than the actual words that came out. "These are ninjutsu that aren't intended to cause damage, but rather to provide more options for offensive action or even just make attacking easier. The veil of mist is one of the more well-known supporting techniques, but to make today's lesson a little more interesting, I've brought someone who can show you a few of the more obscure ninjutsu out there. Niwaka!"

I had been dozing off until I heard Shikamaru's call. I sat bolt upright, wearing my most indignant expression. "So _that's_ why you wanted to drag me out," I said. "I knew it wasn't just for the love and support I give you." I got to my feet and walked over gingerly as if one wrong step would set off an explosive tag underneath my feet. Shikamaru waved me over and I stepped up next to him, eyeing the students nervously. Children scared me almost as much as being awkward.

"Everyone, this is Niwaka," said Shikamaru, giving me the slightest smirk. "And she's going to show you her best support techniques."

"Am I now?" I asked, leaning to the side and raising my eyebrows. When Shikamaru just gave me his lazy-eyed look, I made a 'meh' sound and pulled out a few of my Warriors and some random scrolls. "Hello… kids…" I said, trying not to seem completely hesitant. "So basically I have all these little figurines that I carry around with me. And they're called Porcelain Warriors. Because they're made of porcelain. And they fight." I held up Soratsume's statuette in my hands and showed it to the children, who all crowded closer. "You see, each of these holds the soul of an old clan member and if I inject some of my chakra…" I put a finger on the figurine and put in just enough energy to bring Soratsume to her full size. I set her down in a clear space so that she could stretch out. The students gasped as she sat up, looking them all over silently with cool yellow eyes. "And so having them in a battle or even just for recon is cool." I glanced up at Shikamaru and he nodded, prompting me to continue. "Yeah… So sometimes I can send them scouting ahead to get information and when I'm fighting they can distract the enemy. Usually, they can be disabled pretty easily, but even for a short time they can be a big help. You know, since every second counts when your life is on the line and stuff." The kids just looked at me in awe and I gave Shikamaru my most pathetic expression.

"Keep going," he said, amused.

"You're mean," I mumbled, but I shrunk Soratsume back down and picked up Kusari's scroll. "Next are my Written Words. They're not as nice as the Warriors. In fact, they like to give me lip and make me feel bad about myself, but they're okay. I guess. Anyway, this one I'm about to show you is named Kusari and it's really funny to catch him off guard so if we—"

Suddenly, all of the children let out squeals and ran past me, forgetting that I existed. Not even caring why they had left, I sat down on the ground and lay back, just glad not to be the center of attention anymore. I opened my mouth to talk to Shikamaru, but as I rolled my head over, I saw that he had also left. "Okay, what gives?" I sat up and looked behind me only to shrink away again because Temari, Kankuro and Gaara were standing by the Academy; the students, Shikamaru and even Lee had all rushed over to greet them. Just my luck.

I sat there for a while as they talked. Lee seemed to have a rapport with Gaara after the incident with Kimimaro (I had heard the gist of what happened during the mission) and so he chatted amiably with him and Kankuro. Shikamaru's attention was focused on Temari, I noticed with some displeasure. I really did respect her—liked her, even—but seeing how friendly she was with Shikamaru gave me a cold feeling in my stomach. And the way he returned her smiles… Watching them, all of a sudden I was sure I knew what Shikamaru had meant on Tanabata.

It wasn't long before Gaara and Kankuro noticed me sitting there and I no longer had the drive to avoid talking with them. In fact, I came over first. "Well, if it isn't the conquering heroes," I said with a crooked smile.

"And Niwaka With No Hopes Or Dreams," said Kankuro. "We were wondering when you would show up."

"No hopes _or_ dreams? Is that what they call me now?" I asked. "By your estimations I don't have much of anything, now do I?"

Kankuro shrugged. "I'm just going by what you told me before."

I 'hmphed', making sure to keep facing Kankuro and not Gaara. "So, allies. That's special."

"Yeah, should be interesting to see how many times we have to save your asses," said Kankuro. "So far, the tally's at one."

"And hopefully it'll stay at one." Hesitating, almost changing my mind, I turned to Gaara, unable to force myself to ignore him any longer. "Hello Gaara."

Gaara nodded at me, saying nothing. Up close, he looked miles more stable than he had been at the Chuunin Exam—quiet; subdued, even.

Gritting my teeth, I swallowed the rest of my apprehension. I could only stop feeling guilty if I went through with what I felt most uncomfortable with. "I-I'd like to… apologize," I managed to get out, "for what I said before. I presumed to talk as if I understood you and I realize now that it was a mistake." I cleared my throat, thinking I had more to say, but then I bowed my head. "I'm sorry."

I could feel Gaara's stare resting on me, but I didn't move. Finally, he said, "We didn't finish our match." I looked up, surprised. "Someday I hope to remedy that." He looked at me for a moment with those icy eyes—I could see no madness in them; only controlled intensity—and then nodded again before moving off.

Kankuro glanced at me sideways and said, "You know, he probably forgot all about that. That Naruto kid was the one who really got to him."

"Naruto gets to everybody," I said, smiling. "And even if Gaara did forget, I still needed to make an apology. Who knows? Maybe he'll decide that _that's_ worth remembering."

* * *

**So. Niwaka suspects that Shikamaru and Temari like each other. Do we think that this is an accurate assumption? Is she just being paranoid? Who knows? Also, Niwaka finally got a chance to vindicate herself of that business with Gaara. So what comes next? All bets are off...**

**Adios.**

**P.S. For those of you who've been with me a while, I'd love it if you dropped a review my way or even just PMed me to say hi. I miss hearing from you guys. :)**


	19. The Sarcasm

**You know what I like? Updating. Makes me feel like I actually am doing something productive. Which is funny because I've been at college for the last three months and I feel like I've done nothing important. Oh well.**

**It's been a while, but fortunately I always come back to the ol' F&L. Once again, thanks to every one of you who has been reading. Y'all rock.**

**BTW, since I'm here, a couple of people (can't remember exactly who right now) have expressed that Niwaka seems kind of clinical or unemotional, and I just want to address that for a moment. Since this is based on manga/anime, I think emotional extremes are pretty much expected, but I've definitely altered the feel of the Naruto universe in transferring it into my writing. It's a little realer, I think, and Niwaka's character is a part of that. On the other hand, even by "normal" standards, she is by no means an open book. It's kind of bad form to answer questions of character development outside of the actual story, but I will say this: Niwaka's version of dealing with her emotions involves clamping down on them rather than expressing them. I try to write her thoughts in a more emotional way than she speaks (since most of what she says is sarcastic anyway) but often her repression of strong feelings extends beyond just her actions. Perhaps this is something that could change as the story progresses... I hope this is helpful for those who were wondering. If anyone still has questions or anything, just let me know.**

**One more thing: I'll be trying to keep people posted on when I expect to get chapters out. To check on it, you can visit my profile, and there will be an update about how far I am and my estimate of release. Just in case you find yourself missing me.**

**But anyway.**

**The story continues with some first-time weirdness and some old-time Niwaka antics. Have at it.**

* * *

_I was walking along the streets of Konoha, not paying attention to where I was or where I was going. I kept my gaze facing straight forward; my eyes never strayed. At the edges of my vision, I could see a grey blur as if the village were fading out of existence as I went further. Feathers rained from the sky, but I ignored them, staying focused on my path. Something was here, something that I had to find… I came to the front doors of the hospital and stopped, casting my eyes over the deserted street. No movement. Then, a flash overhead caught my attention. My head cracked upward like a whip. Was that a face I had seen in the window? Quietly, I slid the door open and crept inside. _

_The hospital was as empty as the street outside, but that didn't deter me. Pencils and papers littered the front desk, curtains fluttered in windows although there was no breeze. I was beginning to wonder why I was here, but I pressed on anyway. Something was waiting for me._

_Before I knew it, I had reached the end of the hall, where a single window opened onto the village below. There was a boy standing there with his back to me, looking down. I bit my lip. I needed to say something to him, but what? For an instant, I imagined that it was Shikamaru standing there, but I knew it couldn't be. I pushed the thought out of my head, but there was no shaking the fog that enveloped my brain. I couldn't think properly. Somehow, I knew it was this boy's fault._

_I finally gained the courage to speak. "Who are you?" I asked._

_When the boy turned, I had to peer closer because I had never seen him in my entire life. His jade eyes were wide with surprise and he ran a hand through his white-blonde hair, staring at me just as curiously. His face was angular, his nose and jaw slim and I could see that the rest of him was lanky through a plain black outfit. He was probably about my age. "I-I don't know," he said._

"_Do you have a name?"_

_That seemed to puzzle him even more, as he clutched at his head with both hands, his expression becoming panicked. "No. I never—Maybe? But I-I don't know where I am."_

"_You're in Konoha," I said slowly. "I'm Niwaka." I held out my hand with an encouraging smile._

_Looking as if he wanted to run and never stop, the boy took my hand carefully and we shook. He smiled, becoming even more nervous, and suddenly a bolt shot through my chest. I gasped, drawing my hand back and the hospital sunk away in a wash of color as I writhed and struggled for air._

I was still coughing and scrabbling at my chest when I awoke, tangled in blankets on the floor next to my bed. It was another minute or so before I began to breathe normally and relax. My chest was still aching, but the pain was melting away fast. Ripping my sheets away, I clambered to my feet and stumbled across the room to my window. Fresh air. I needed fresh air.

Once I had been leaning on the windowsill for a few minutes, I went over the dream in my head. "What the hell _was_ that?" I wondered aloud. My dreams could be confusing, cryptic even, but they had never caused me physical pain and I had never seen someone in such detail whom I had never met. "Don't read too much into it," I said to myself. "Maybe you've finally tapped into your psychic powers and started having prophetic dreams. That could be it, right?" But I couldn't convince myself of that. I would have to concede that it was—although I cringed at simplifying it thus—just a dream. Stranger things had happened, after all, and probably would continue to happen.

* * *

"Tsunade-sama, I'd like to volunteer."

Tsunade, Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, and Ino all looked at me as if I had a squid for a head. "_You_ want to volunteer for this, Niwaka?" Tsunade asked. "It's not that you aren't qualified, but rumor has it that you would turn tail and run from a task like this."

I grinned, trying to be convincing. "I'm unpredictable like that."

Shikamaru, who was standing next to me, elbowed me in the side. "Have you gone insane? What was it you were going on about the other day with being awkward and—"

"Today is a new day," I muttered to him. "I can change my mind, can't I?"

Tsunade sat back, watching our exchange with one eyebrow quirked. The other genin stared as if Shikamaru and I were about to have a showdown right there in the Hokage's office.

Shikamaru made a 'psh' sound. "Change your mind, fine, but I'm pretty sure you've just become even crazier than you were. Tsunade-sama, I would like to volunteer for the second position."

Tsunade eyed us both, her hands folded on her desk. "Are you two sure about this?" We both nodded. "Do any of you have any objections?" she asked the other genin. They all shook their heads or mumbled 'no'. "Alright, then it's settled. Shikamaru and Niwaka will travel to Sunagakure with Gaara, Temari and Kankuro to gather information from their village leaders and to help them start their new ninja academy."

Hearing Tsunade say that definitely made me flinch a little on the inside, but I was so tired of hiding from the Sand genin that I was ready to quash any of my unpleasant feelings and force myself to get to know them. Well, I didn't care so much about Gaara and Kankuro, but if Shikamaru and Temari were friendly with each other then I was determined to test Temari's worthiness to the best of my ability. If Gaara and Kankuro so happened to cross my path during the process, then so be it. I could handle them. Maybe.

As all of the genin filed out of the room, Shikamaru caught up with me. (Apparently, even though he was a chuunin, Tsunade still liked to keep him around the rest of us genin—probably to reign us in from time to time.) He grabbed me by the shoulder before I could sneak between Hinata and Shino and steered me away from the others to the end of the street where Chouji was already heading for training. "I'm still not convinced," said Shikamaru.

"Shame," I replied with a sigh.

"And I'm not sure if I like that you volunteered at all."

"Because I lie awake at night trying to figure out how to win your approval," I said. I added an extra degree of sarcasm so that he wouldn't suspect how truthful my statement was.

He muttered something predictable about women being troublesome, but I didn't care to respond. There was no way I'd actually be able to come up with a plausible excuse for wanting to go to the Sand that wasn't the truth. I almost wanted to tell him anyway so that I could see the look on his face when I said, 'Actually, I'm going to spy on Temari so that I can gauge whether she's good enough for you and if she's not I'm going to beat her to death with her own limbs and if she is, I'm going to beat her to death with her own limbs anyway.' But alas, that way led to madness. Instead, I swatted Shikamaru's hand from my shoulder and asked, "So why did _you_ volunteer, most skeptical of skeptics?"

"Someone has to keep you out of trouble," he said, shrugging. "As far as I'm concerned, the rest of them would just encourage you."

Frowning, I tapped my chin and said, "Oh yes, I can see it now. Shino's monosyllabic responses would have me burning down buildings in an hour. Under Neji's influence, I would become a master jewel thief. And Hinata… Now _there_ is a problem child if ever there was one. I can see how you might be worried."

Shikamaru gave me the most withering look I had ever seen. "What I mean," he said, ever so patiently, "is that you wouldn't listen to any of them if they tried to stop you from doing something vastly stupid."

"So you think I would listen to _you?_" I stopped and put my hands on my hips, grinning up at my teammate.

He sighed. "I can only dream," he said.

I shook my head and followed after Chouji. "Keep dreaming, Shikamaru."

* * *

_This time, I was already inside the hospital when I found the boy standing in front of me. He was still wearing black and he seemed as unsure as ever. "I thought you had gone for good," he said._

"_So did I," I replied. I glanced about the hospital hallway, at the fluttering curtains and the white emptiness that surrounded us. "Have you been here the whole time since I left?"_

_He hesitated for a moment. "I don't know," he said. "I don't remember leaving, but I don't remember being here, either."_

"_So what_ do_ you remember?"_

_The boy wrung his hands together, brows knit together in thought. Finally, he looked up at me, looking bewildered. "I remember you. I remember talking to you and then… You were with a boy. And after that you used a lot of chakra. I… saw it. Does that make sense?"_

_I stared at him. "No," I said bluntly. "How could you have seen Shikamaru? And how did you know that I used chakra? I still don't know who you are!"_

"_I told you I don't know!" the boy cried as he brought his hands to his head. "Things keep coming back to me. I keep seeing people I've never met, but I know their names. And I know you." He raised his dark green eyes to mine and I took a step backward. "Niwaka. Nyuushin Niwaka. From Umougakure."_

_Starting to get nervous, I shuffled back even further. "I only told you my name," I said._

_The boy nodded miserably. "I know everything about you. I know about your parents and your friends and your techniques. I know _everything."

_I was past nervous; now I was actually frightened, but it was a small comfort to see that this boy was clearly just as scared. "And you said you don't know what your name is?" I asked, trying to steady my voice._

"_When I try to think of it, all I get are feelings… Ideas. You know?" With a shake of his head, he turned back to the window. "I just want to get out."_

"_Out of where? My dreams? Because I want you out of here too." I peered at him, wondering how I could go about figuring out who he was. "You're starting to really freak me out." He didn't answer and just gazed dolefully out of the window. "Well, as long as you're here, you should probably have a name. You said you get feelings, right? Well, what does your name feel like?"_

_Surprised, he faced me and thought for a moment before saying, "It feels like… like finding something in the first place you'd expect and the last place you look. Like… something being so clearly _there_ that you can't figure out how you might have missed it."_

"_Wait, this is how you feel about finding our name or this _is_ your name?"_

"_It's my name. My name is these feelings."_

_I let out a short breath and pursed my lips, thinking. "You're quite a character, aren't you?" I asked and smiled a bit. "We could call you Kencho. How does that sound?"_

_He puffed out his cheeks and considered that for nearly a minute. At last, he nodded and for once he didn't look completely baffled. "I would like that. Kencho. It sounds comfortable."_

"_Good!" I said. "I would shake your hand, but last time I tried, I woke up choking." _

"_Yeah," said Kencho, looking sheepish. "I think that was my fault. I won't do it again."_

"_I'm holding you to that," I said. "But for now…" I looked down at my body, which was beginning to fade into the air like mist under the sun. "I think I'm waking up."_

"_Thanks, Niwaka," I heard him say as he disappeared._

* * *

"Asuma-sensei," I said as I tossed a handful of shurikens in quick succession at a target across the field, "have you ever had a lucid dream?"

"I can't say that I have," said Asuma. "Release the shurikens a little sooner, Niwaka. You're not quite hitting the center."

I squinted at the target. I would eat all of my scrolls if my shurikens had landed more than a centimeter away from the exact center at _most_. I sighed and took a few more out of my pocket. "Yes, sir…"

"Why do you ask about the dreams?"

I shrugged and took another shot at the target. I did as Asuma told me and tried to let go of the shuriken just a tad earlier, but apparently I adjusted too much and it went flying off to thud into a tree where Shikamaru was training his Shadow Neck Bind. As Shikamaru glared at me, I gave him an apologetic smile and turned back to Asuma. "I mean, I've had a few lucid dreams. They're cool, but kind of hazy." My second attempt made it onto the target, but just barely. "The jounins at Umou can all do it apparently, and they kept telling me to practice, but I never could get it down."

"Does it affect your techniques?"

My next shuriken almost hit Shikamaru in the back of the head. "I was led to believe so," I answered slowly. Truth be told, the jounins had never been forthcoming about what exactly lucid dreaming would do for me. I never felt any stronger after the few times I managed it, and most of the time I wasn't able to make it last for more than a few minutes. "I was just wondering if you'd ever heard anything."

Asuma thought for a moment and then winced as my latest throw disappeared through the trees. "It seems like it would affect your genjutsu if anything," he replied. "I'll ask Kurenai about it while you're in Sunagakure. Yes, I heard all about it," he continued before I could explain myself. (It was probably a good thing that I didn't—when I try to be articulate I usually get out a few words like "I" and "well" and "ducks" before I just shut up and edge away.)

"You caught me," I said. "Hey Shikamaru! He knows!"

"You thought he didn't?" Shikamaru called at me.

"Well, no," I mumbled. "I thought we would get to sneak out of town all stealthy. We _are_ ninjas after all."

"I think it's a good idea," said Asuma.

I blinked. After a pause I let out a big sigh. "Well, that's a load off my mind. And here I thought I was going to at least earn myself a reproving look. It's not that I want to avoid your training, Asuma-sensei. In fact, I'll be pining for it every minute. On my honor."

"Oh, will you now?" Asuma said. "Well then, I guess I'll have to work you extra hard tonight to make up for it. So what say we tack on three more hours? That goes for you too, Shikamaru. You can start with some chakra control. Go walk on the river and keep practicing until I tell you to stop." He grinned at us and then went off to train Chouji.

"Oh man" I groaned. "I should really cut down on the sarcasm.

"Agreed," said Shikamaru as he ambled over. "You think this is karma?"

"Karma for what?" I asked. "I haven't done anything bad recently."

"What about not coming clean with your motives?"

"So what?" I crossed my arms and started heading toward the river. "Maybe I did come clean. But maybe I came clean to someone else. I do have other friends, you know."

"If you have other friends, how come I'm the one who gets the brunt of your attention?" he asked.

"Well, there's karma for you."

From there on out, our chakra control exercise involved a lot more splashing than was strictly necessary.

* * *

We set out for Suna the next morning at an ungodly hour. (I know ninjas wake up at sunrise to train and everything; it's a good habit and whatnot, but I feel like sometimes we feel the need to wake up even earlier on certain occasions just to outdo ourselves.) Shikamaru swung by my house to get me—he checked the tree first, I might add—and together we came down to the gates where Temari, Kankuro and Gaara were already waiting. None of us was in an overly chatty mood, so we organized ourselves in a protective formation and set off through the trees.

By midday, I was getting fidgety. We traveled in silence for the most part, but I was not made to last through long silences. Shikamaru and Temari were up front, while Kankuro and I sat at center and Gaara had the rear. I kept my eyes up ahead, trying not to let them wander too much. And by wander, I mean start scrutinizing Temari or latching onto Shikamaru. Despite my best efforts, I was distracted for a good long while.

We stopped for lunch around noon and when we set off afterward, Shikamaru and Temari began to talk casually as we went. It wasn't that it was bothering me a lot, per se—which is a lie, because I was already getting jealous—but because Shikamaru was occupied, that left me sandwiched between Gaara and Kankuro.

Luckily, I think Kankuro decided that he was tired of listening to his sister's small talk and about a half hour after lunch, he said, "Hey Niwaka."

I glanced over at him. "Hey Kankuro."

"So, I heard from Kiba that you've gotten a lot stronger since you fought Gaara."

"I've been training. But you train and you train and you train some more and it seems like nothing actually happens until you're in mortal danger and you manage to pull some ridiculous technique out of nowhere. You know how it is."

"That I do." He grinned. "You didn't answer my question."

"Oh, stronger? Huh. I don't know. Like I said, it really takes a life or death experience to know for sure.

"Well, you'll be in Suna for a few of days," said Kankuro. "Should be enough time for me to figure it out."

I raised my eyebrows and wagged my finger at him as we shot through the trees. "I see what you did there. You implied that before I go back, we're going to have some kind of fight. We'll see, we'll see."

"We'll see?" he asked with a smirk. "What else did you plan on doing while you were here?"

I shrugged. "See the sights. Like the village and the other stuff. And the sand. I hear there's a lot of it. Oh, plus we have that mission with the ninja academy and everything. I hear you're setting one up. Is it because you're jealous of ours?"

"Apparently," said Kankuro and he twisted his mouth. "I didn't go to any ninja academy and I'm an excellent ninja."

"And so humble too," I replied wryly.

"I speak as I find."

I rolled my eyes and flicked my eyes backward to check on Gaara. He was just jumping from tree to tree, not really paying attention to any of us. Or if he was, he wasn't letting it show. I almost wished that he would acknowledge my existence just once, but I think at the moment that was beyond him. I sighed inwardly and looked ahead. Shikamaru and Temari were still talking, but for an instant I saw Shikamaru turn his head. I quickly turned back to Kankuro.

"I like the new paint pattern," I said. "It makes you look a little less scary."

Kankuro shot me a reproachful look. "You think I look scary?"

"Well, you walk around wearing all black and cat ears and most of your face is purple. Don't get me wrong, I love cats and purple, but you know… Okay, I'm going to be straight with you. I'm openly insulting your personal style."

Kankuro was smiling more widely than ever. Clearly, my open insult tactic wasn't going to shake him. "Alright, if that's the way it's going to be then I think you _owe_ me a good fight."

I grimaced. "I always seem to get myself into these situations where people want to fight me. Why does that happen?"

"Well, it could have something to do with being too honest," said Kankuro thoughtfully.

"There is that."

"Or it could be that you're a halfway decent kunoichi."

I hesitated for a second, trying to figure out if that was a compliment or not. In the end, I decided to answer with my usual weapon: sarcasm. "Halfway decent? Wow, you're certainly being liberal with your good opinion, considering that you're the _excellent_ ninja you are."

He frowned at me. "Now is that any way to treat someone who just gave you a compliment?"

_So it _was_ a compliment. Dammit._ "Sorry. Thanks, I guess?" How come Shikamaru couldn't come back and keep me company? I could actually understand him. _Well, _he's _too busy making time with that frustratingly good-looking girl that's not me. So what do I do about this guy? Maybe I should keep trying with the honesty. _"Look, my cynical attitude usually just makes up for the fact that I'm extremely awkward. And the fact that I have to justify that by telling you this right now and making things more awkward for you just makes me a sorrier kind of person. And the fact that I'm a sorry person just means that I can't interact with normal people. Now I'm babbling. Can you tell that I'm babbling? I just can't seem to—"

He was laughing at me. Well, I couldn't blame him. I shut my mouth. "Niwaka, you just talk too much. It's fine."

"Obviously." I snuck a glance at Kankuro and considered him for a moment. He was alright. We were both proud, sarcastic people, so we could probably be friends.

I smiled to myself. 'It's fine,' he had said. Everything was fine.

I was fine.

* * *

**Ouch. Looks like Shikamaru and Temari seem to be getting pretty close... This looks like trouble. But hey, look at Niwaka making friends with Kankuro. He's kind of a jerk sometimes, she's really nosy. They both got problems; they'll get along just fine.**

**And now to Suna. ;)**


	20. Good Enough

**In case you're wondering, the reason I got out two chapters within a week is because I'm on break and I've been writing and lazing for days, playing Pokemon on Gameboy and thinking Naruto-tastic thoughts. I hope you enjoy the fruits of my (non) labor.**

**I really enjoyed this chapter, actually. Gotta say, I really like that the plot is coming out (wow, it's been 20 chapters, and we're only now just discovering that there's more to this story than girlish crushes and random battles and dream sequences that make no sense) and I really hope it interests everybody. It's funny, because way back when (like three years ago) I had all these chapters outlined and I never thought I'd actually get to them. Anyways, things are diverging and it's hella cool.**

**MOST IMPORTANTLY! Shout-out to my new official beta, StealAlone! She didn't want me to thank her for this one, because apparently she only added a 'you' someplace where I forgot, but dammit, that 'you' was crucial! Plus, she's great and if you like random humor and Kingdom Hearts, you should check out her story, Public Transportation. Also, you should encourage her to update it, as it has been over a year since that's happened.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

We reached Sunagakure the next morning. Everything was very standard—Baki showed Shikamaru and me our quarters for the few days and immediately afterward, we separated from Temari, Kankuro and Gaara so that we could pick up the reports from the village leaders. Between the two of us, there was only one scroll to deliver back to Konoha, but Baki insisted that the both of us were needed to help with the construction and organization of the new ninja academy. We were instructed to meet him at the building site the next day, so for the time being, Shikamaru and I had nothing much to do.

As we walked along the bare brown streets, he stuck his hands in his pockets and said, "I guess we should be training."

I looked at him sidelong. "And here I thought you were the lazier of the two of us."

"Things change."

"Alright, then I'll take you on. Right now."

Shikamaru mumbled something and then said, "I was thinking maybe something less strenuous than a full-fledged skirmish."

I shrugged, smiling. "We don't _have_ to train. We could…" I waved my hand around, trying to buy time so that I wouldn't say anything embarrassing. (Examples of embarrassing things I might have said: cuddle, sit in close proximity, talk about our feelings, etc.) "We could watch clouds. Since that's like your favorite activity of all activities."

"We're on a mission, Niwaka," he replied. "It's not like this is our free time."

"Oh, you're right," I said. "Because we need to be on guard at all moments for this potentially fatal mission."

Shikamaru puffed out his cheeks and let out his breath very slowly. "Niwaka, remember what you said about cutting down on the sarcasm?"

"I try, I really do," I said. "But look, sarcasm and I go together like Naruto and ramen. It's _natural._ Just like you're lazy and like Shino's laconic. Just think, if I stopped being sarcastic, you wouldn't know how to act around me. And then what would you do?"

Shikamaru shifted his shoulders and readjusted his hands in his pockets. "I'd deal with you like I always do," he answered gruffly. "Nothing much would be different."

"Sure, you say that now."

"Alright, if you're just going to give me a hard time, then I _am_ going to go train," he said, sounding weary. "Come join if you want."

"I will, but I need to go over some of my scrolls first," I said. "I'll meet you by the training ground in an hour or so, okay?"

"See you there." His lip twitched in a tiny smile as he waved and headed off. It was satisfying to know that even when I _did_ give him a hard time, he always left in a good mood. The one problem with that was that it put me in the permanent friend zone. I shook my head a little to get out those annoying thoughts and then walked off to get my scroll work out of the way.

* * *

I wasn't lying when I said I had to look over my scrolls, but it definitely wasn't going to take me an hour. I finished what I needed to get done in less than ten minutes and in another five, I was at the training ground. Okay, not strictly at it; more _above_ it. I'd found a nook between a small roof and the balcony above it and now I was crouched there, watching what went down in the yard below. The Sand siblings were all training their respective techniques. I saw Gaara at the edge of the ground with sand floating all around him. Kankuro was a ways away with his puppets. But I was busy analyzing Temari's every move. She and Shikamaru were training together, which I had expected, and their actions were all platonic, but it still rankled me. I hadn't thought of myself as a jealous person before that moment. Now I knew that I was.

Twenty minutes passed and I was still watching, mostly for the sake of judging Temari's different attacks. I wasn't much paying attention to anything else, not even Shikamaru at this point. And I realized, of course, that this stalking was ridiculous behavior, but seriously: how many teenagers are rational when it comes to the people they like? Back then, I counted myself among the sanest of my age group, but when it came to Shikamaru, I was just as soft-headed as any other young girl with her eye on a boy. So there I sat, trying not to be sullen. I was mostly succeeding too.

Unfortunately, while I was foolishly honing my attention in on Temari, I wasn't paying attention to the rest of the training ground, and I probably had stopped trying to conceal myself as well. I was never good at the sneaky part of being a ninja.

"Spying on my sister, are you?" I felt, rather than saw, Kankuro sit next to me.

"Observing," I said defensively. "On a professional level."

"So I see," said Kankuro. "And what is your diagnosis, professional observer?"

I paused, thought for a moment, and then answered, "She's very good. Way better than me." I was trying very hard not to sound resentful, but somehow I knew I wasn't convincing him. "Her taijutsu is more advanced, her powerful techniques are more accessible." _And she's pretty too_, I grumbled to myself. _And a little too serious in my opinion, but if Shikamaru really does think of her that way…_ As much as I wanted to hate Temari, I couldn't. She was nice in her way, she was a good ninja, and worst of all: I liked her. "Anyway, she has better fashion sense too."

"You think so?" Kankuro asked.

"Oh, undoubtedly. She's a regular fashionista."

"Huh. I never thought that."

"Yeah, well, some have the gift and some don't." I sighed and turned to Kankuro only to see Gaara standing behind him. I waved sheepishly and Kankuro turned around.

"So this is where you went," Gaara said to Kankuro in his permanently flat tone. He glanced at me again. "What are you doing?"

I leaned my chin on my arms and slumped over. "Creeping. On Temari."

I'm pretty sure Gaara's face didn't change at all. In fact, I'm pretty sure he knew exactly what I was doing. After a moment, he sat down on Kankuro's other side.

"Why were you doing that, anyway?" asked Kankuro.

At this point, I wasn't even going to try lying. I was never really good at it anyway. For a mission, sure, but for my personal life, not so much. "Because, since Shikamaru doesn't have an older brother, I have to play the part for him. Kankuro, you _are_ an older brother, so you should be doing the same thing except slightly differently."

Kankuro blinked at me and then looked over at Gaara. Gaara just met his gaze with a blank expression. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Gaara said nothing. His eyebrows lowered slightly.

I rolled my eyes. "I was referring to Temari," I said.

"She's older than I am," Kankuro replied. Gaara nodded.

"Oh, so she's older too?" I squinted down at her, training with Shikamaru. "That might make her a cradle robber. I don't know if I like this. How much older?"

"She's sixteen," said Kankuro.

"_Sixteen?"_ I demanded. "Man, she's _definitely_ a cradle robber. Ye gods, he's only thirteen!"

"So, let me see if I've got this right," said Kankuro slowly. "You think Temari… and the Nara kid?"

"Precisely, puppet man."

Kankuro frowned and looked down at the training ground as well. "Really? Gaara, do you think so? I don't see it."

Gaara closed his eyes and leaned back against the roof. "You don't?"

Kankuro now seemed slightly disgruntled. "I don't know if I like this either."

I just shook my head. "I know, right? Could be trouble. Anyway, you should pay more attention to the social interactions of your sister and whatnot. Gaara at least knows what he's talking about." I settled down to continue my extended marathon of stalking as Kankuro's frown deepened and he focused on Shikamaru with a critical eye.

"They have a bond," Gaara said quietly. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say more, but remained silent. Maybe it was just me, but I thought he might have sounded sad.

"They do, don't they?" I asked. I was beginning to feel a little melancholy myself. "Looks like there's nothing for it." I hopped up and stretched out my arms, yawning. "Well, I told him I'd be there in an hour and it's about that time."

As Kankuro and Gaara also got to their feet, Kankuro turned to me. "Train with us," he said. He grinned in that cocky way of his.

"Why should I?" I asked with a cheeky smile of my own.

Kankuro jabbed his thumb at Shikamaru and Temari. "Come on, you don't want to get in the way of _those_ two, do you? Something tells me that you wouldn't be the best third wheel."

I grimaced. "No, I wouldn't. But if I train with you, are you going to demand to fight me?"

"I might," he said lightly. "Only if you can keep up with us."

The corner of Gaara's mouth twitched and he flicked his eyes over in my direction, which I took as an invitation. "Can you?" he asked.

I gave them each a flat look. "Alright," I said, "now you're just questioning my skills. Let's go."

* * *

I dodged a kunai that Kankuro had thrown at me, and landed on the ground just in time to roll out of the way of a tendril of Gaara's sand. They were each standing at one end of the training yard, a safe distance from where Shikamaru and Temari were sparring. Kankuro was crouching, controlling the strings of Karasu and sending wave after wave of weapons at me. Meanwhile, Gaara wasn't doing much of anything—at least that involved him moving. His sand was whipping around, cutting me off on all sides and striking where I least expected.

I panted and drew a scroll from my pocket. _When they said 'keep up' I didn't think they were both going to _attack_ me at the _same_ time_. I ripped open Soushi's scroll and then Kusari's. Together, they cascaded to the ground and my two Words popped into being on either side of me. Kusari raised his katana just in time to block a dart from Karasu's mouth. Soushi deflected a rush of sand. I knelt between them, taking the Warriors I needed from my pocket.

"Is this life or death?" Kusari asked as another dart smashed against his blade.

"No, it's casual," I said, "but I'd appreciate it if you still gave it your all."

"Any time, Niwaka-sama," Soushi sang out. She and Kusari planted themselves directly parallel to each other, while I injected my chakra into Kumoboufuu's figurine.

"Trying not to embarrass yourself?" asked Kusari.

"You could say that," I said. In a flurry, Kumoboufuu was growing to twice his size and carrying me upward just as Kusari and Soushi separated to give me room. Kankuro and Gaara moved in, facing off against the Words. "Like many aspects of my life, it's a matter of pride." I hung on to Kumoboufuu's leg tightly as he sped into the sky, pulling various scrolls and figurines from my pockets. Already, Gaara's sand was chasing me, but some of it was occupied with Soushi and the shadow replications that she'd summoned moments before. Kankuro had his hands full with Kusari, but apparently not full enough; while he sent Karasu at Kusari, Kuroari was flying toward me, ready to catch me in its trap.

Gritting my teeth, I sent chakra first into Soratsume and then into Tanamoshii. They leapt apart simultaneously, landing directly in front of Gaara and Kankuro. I didn't have long before they would dispatch my Porcelain Warriors and my Written Words and I would be open for a frontal assault. I had the scroll for Chilling Waterfall open already and I pressed my palm to the center just as I propelled myself away from Kumoboufuu and flipped through the air.

That was when things started to go horribly wrong.

For starters, when I tried to send my chakra into the scroll, it didn't come. It was like déjà vu from that training session with Asuma: I reached for it—where I had felt a well of chakra moments before—and it was suddenly gone. Midair, I stared at the scroll in horror. Then all of my functions seemed to break down. My head flashed with pain, my lungs closed off, and everything seemed to darken before my eyes, or maybe it was my eyes that were going dark. Between the pulses in my skull, I could see jade eyes staring at me. Then the finishing touch: as I plummeted downward, I collided with Kuroari, whose serrated arms were stretched out and waiting to catch me. By the time I hit the ground, I was bleeding and choking and everything I saw was a blurry mess. I tore at my chest, trying to dig the burning sensation out of my body, I writhed like a worm cut in two. And still, those eyes kept ripping across my vision.

I could hear shouting, but barely. It sounded like my name, coming from at least two voices. As I contorted myself, I could make out shapes above me, standing over me. I tried to reach up, but then another wave of coughs shook me and I curled over, pressing myself to the dirt. There was more shouting. A hurried exchange. When I tried to look again, there were only two figures and they were growing dimmer by the second. I tried to cough again, but I couldn't muster enough breath even for that. My lungs cut out entirely. I remember a final surge of panic.

Nothing.

* * *

"_Okay, what the _hell_ was _that_?"I demanded as I barged into the ICU of Suna's hospital. Kencho was standing above the bed inside. "Did that just happen? Did you do what I think you did? This is just completely out of hand. Am I _dead_? Did you _kill _me? What's going on and if you think you can trick me into thinking you just don't know, then—"_

"_I—_really_—don't know," said Kencho quietly. He turned around so that I could see my face lying against the pillow on the bed. "Do you think it makes any sense to me?"_

"_Well, I was hoping it would make more sense to you than it does to me," I retorted. "You're the one who randomly started showing up in my subconscious."_

"_But it's _your _subconscious! Am I a figment of your imagination?"_

"_If you were a figment of my imagination, why would seeing and touching you make me start choking and dying on the ground?"_

_Kencho bowed his head. "You have a point."_

_I sighed and walked over to sit on the bed. When I looked at myself lying there, I shuddered. I looked awful—sallow skin, baggy eyes, rattled breathing. "Okay, well let's think. You see what happens to me, right? What did you see right before I passed out?"_

"_Well…" Kencho sat down next to me. "I could feel you using chakra. I was watching somehow. At the training yard. I… um…" He scratched the back of his head and looked down at his lap. "I tried to help," he muttered._

_I stared at him. "What exactly did you do?"_

"_I tried to… I mean, I don't know… I don't have any techniques that I know of… but I have chakra. I think it helped you before. The first time you fought that scary kid with the tattoo. Do you remember? You had that scroll and I don't think you realized… You were about to run out of chakra. I just gave you enough to finish… I didn't think—it worked that time, I know it did! I didn't think that this time anything would happen…"_

_I kept staring. "So when I fought Gaara in the final rounds of the Chuunin Exam… That was _you_? How long have you been here?"_

_Kencho bit his lip and finally met my gaze. "Always." He paused. "I think."_

_I was still staring. "I am _so_ lost," I said._

"_Me too."_

"_So you've _always _been inside me."_

"_I mean… I guess. I'm almost positive."_

"_But how come I haven't seen you until now?"_

_Kencho threw his hands in the air and stood up. "I don't have all the answers, Niwaka! All I know is that I'm here and I can't get out."_

"_Alright, then we just need to figure out what exactly you're doing here in the first place, whether or not I'm actually clinically insane, and how to get you the hell out of my mind, because I don't think this relationship is beneficial to either of us." I ran my hands through my hair and glanced at myself again before turning back to Kencho. "No offense to you, but I don't know if I can take any more helping at this particular point in time."_

"_Yeah," he said with a sort of half-laugh. "So how are you going to go about that?"_

"_Well, I figure if there's anyone I should tell about it, it'll be Asuma," I said. "He _is _my jounin."_

"_You won't tell anyone else?" Kencho asked, surprised. "Not even that Shikamaru guy? Isn't he pretty much your best friend?"_

_Sighing, I drummed my fingers on my leg. "I don't want to worry him. I'll tell him everything once I'm actually sure that _I _know what's going on."_

"_Probably a good idea," said Kencho. "So what now?"_

_I shook my head, but after a moment I thought of something. "You said you _gave_ me your chakra. If you have chakra, then what kind of chakra do you have? Is it similar to mine? Where does it come from?"_

"_Well, I guess it's _your_ kind of chakra," said Kencho, creasing his forehead. "I get it from you."_

"_What?" I opened my mouth to say more, but I saw myself stir in the bed and I could feel my dream-self dissolving. "No, no, not yet!" I smacked the sheets with my fading hands. "I still have questions for him! Come on, don't wake up _now!_" But Kencho was gone and so was I._

* * *

If I'd had the energy, I probably would have still been pounding on the bed when I opened my eyes, but I could barely do that, let alone move my arms. Every inch of my body hurt. Places that I had forgotten existed hurt. Plus, it was dark—I thought it might be because of my condition, but I soon saw the moon through a window at the end of the room. It took me a few seconds to adjust to the darkness, but when I did, I could turn my head just enough to see one person sitting at the bedside. Gaara, of all people. I shifted to sit up, but my muscles crinkled like burned paper and I couldn't manage it.

"Don't move," said Gaara.

I rested my head back down on the pillow and raised my eyebrows at him. "Could've said that before I tried." He just closed his eyes. "Where's Shikamaru? And Kankuro and Temari?"

"Kankuro and Temari were sent to Konoha," he said. "They thought the Hokage should know about your accident."

"And Shikamaru?"

Gaara inclined his head slightly toward the opposite wall. Shikamaru was curled up in another chair with a blanket. I'm sure I would've thought it was cute if I wasn't aching all over. "Do you want me to wake him?" Gaara asked.

"No," I said softly. "Let him sleep. I've caused him a lot of grief."

We sat in silence for a while. Since Gaara didn't sleep, he was just hanging around to make sure I didn't get any worse. Or in case I did anything interesting while I was lying broken and unconscious in the hospital. I think I was too tired to be awkward at this point, so I was actually feeling pretty comfortable.

"You don't know what's happening to you, do you?"

I fiddled with my fingers a bit and shook my head against the pillow. There was no sense in trying to explain Kencho or those lucid dreams when I didn't know what they meant myself. "I knew something was wrong. But it—it never got this bad."

Another long silence. "Your friend was worried about you. He never left this room."

Again, I glanced at Shikamaru and then let out a heavy breath. "He's the best friend I've ever had. I just wish I could leave it at that."

If it were possible to send somebody a prompt without moving or speaking, Gaara did that easily.

It seemed silly to be talking about boy troubles with him, but at this point, nothing in my life made much sense and I was going to take what I could get. "You know how we were talking about Shikamaru and Temari earlier?"

"Their bond," he said.

I figured that Gaara's whole 'bond' fixation must be part of his new development of not being a homicidal crazy person, so I just nodded. "Yeah. That's the kind of bond I wish I had with him." I clutched the blankets as hard as I could with my weak hands. I could feel the pressure of tears building behind my eyes, but I refused to cry in front of Gaara. In fact, I refused to cry at all. I was not going to let these feelings compromise me. I took a deep breath, trying to hide that I was shaking just slightly. "But it's not. And that's okay." I managed to smile at Gaara. "I'm lucky that I get to be his friend at all. I'm lucky that he's willing to wait in a hospital room for days until I wake up. And I'm also lucky that I have you to sit with me."

That caught Gaara off guard a bit. He blinked once, twice. "It's nothing," he said finally. A pause. "You should sleep."

I gave him one more smile and then closed my eyes.

* * *

**Man, that's depressing. I feel kinda mean for making Niwaka sad, but maybe she shouldn't give up so easily. Huh. Well, she's getting along with Gaara and Kankuro, so that's good. But WHAT THE HECK is going on with this Kencho kid? What's happening to Niwaka? Only way to find out is to stay tuned until my winter break, when I'll have time to tell you.**

**Much chumminess.**


	21. Learning to Get Better

**And finally... Here we are. At long last, I have posted this chapter. I apologize profusely, per usual, for not getting this out in a timely manner. I have no real excuses other than the fact that I was a lazy slob during my winter and spring breaks and that I have been doing a lot of school work. Anyways, here it is and I hope you like it! Also, thank you to my beta, StealAlone and to everyone who has been reading and commenting! It's really encouraging to see that people like this story and continue to read it even when I take forever to update. You da best. :)**

* * *

"Well, look who decided to wake up," said Kankuro as he and Temari entered my hospital room the next day. "Nice to see that you didn't die."

I shrugged at them. "It was a positive development. I'm proud."

Shikamaru, who was sitting next to me, sighed and put his hand to his head. "Don't be snide, Niwaka."

I hung my head. "He was snide first," I mumbled.

Kankuro grinned at me and then turned to Shikamaru. "How is she?"

"Hello!" I said. "I'm right here. You can ask _me_ how I am."

"He could," said Shikamaru, "but you'll say that you're fine even if you're not and then no one will know if you're actually in bad shape. In answer to your question, Kankuro, she's doing better. She still can't move much."

"I could've told him that," I said.

Shikamaru huffed and gave me a look. Then he turned his attention to Temari. "You're back sooner than I expected. Last time I checked, it was a three day trip from here to Konoha."

"It is," said Temari as she sat on the edge of my bed. "Our messenger bird got there just as we'd hoped and the Hokage sent help right away. We met your ninjas halfway along the road."

"Our ninjas?" Shikamaru and I said at the same time.

"Who did she send?" I asked.

"No one important," I heard a voice say from the door. Kankuro and Temari turned around and between them I caught sight of Asuma standing with Kakashi and Shizune. "Well, unless you're counting us," he said.

"Asuma-sensei!" Shikamaru and I managed to speak in tandem again.

Asuma stepped into the room, taking his cigarette out of his mouth. "I thought this was going to be your easiest mission yet, Niwaka. And here you are in a hospital bed."

"Yeah," I said. "I'm beginning to think that lying in the hospital is my natural state of being. Hi Kakashi-sensei, Shizune-sama. How was the trip?"

"Safer than being you, Niwaka," said Shizune with a smile.

"Can you fix her?" Shikamaru asked abruptly. "I'm assuming that's why Tsunade sent you."

"I'll see what I can do," said Shizune. "It looks like the Suna medics have done a good job with stabilizing her, but I've spoken to them already and they said they had some trouble pinpointing the source of the problem."

"But she'll be fine?" said Kankuro.

I frowned to myself and shifted the blankets around me, knowing that no matter what I said, they would not trust that I was okay. Not until Shizune gave them some good news.

"It's not serious anymore," she said, "but I need to have a look all the same." Temari pulled up a chair for her and Shizune sat down at the side of my bed. "How are you feeling right now?" she asked.

"Meh," I said as I wriggled to sit up. "I'm sore pretty much everywhere. Little tired. Little dizzy. Oh, and my left leg is asleep. Other than that, I feel kind of normal."

Shizune nodded and started examining my forehead and face.

While this was going on, Shikamaru, Kankuro and Temari were all watching as closely as they could without getting in the way. Shikamaru was leaning both elbows on the bed and following every movement. That was when Asuma and Kakashi stepped over to him. Asuma put his hand on Shikamaru's shoulder and said, "Shikamaru, I know this is fascinating, but we have a few questions to ask you about your actual mission. Just to make sure everything is on track, as the Hokage planned. We should leave so that Shizune can concentrate."

Shikamaru's eyes flicked up to Asuma and he sighed as he got to his feet. "Right, the mission. Yeah, let's go." Before he left the room, he gave me a small salute and a wry smile.

After that, Temari also rose from her chair. I figured that she had only been staying because Shikamaru was there, so now she probably felt that she didn't need to remain any longer. "I should go see Gaara," she said. "He'll want to know that we're back." She raised her brows at Kankuro, as if bidding him to follow.

Kankuro just stretched out and laced his fingers behind his head. He shrugged at his sister. "I think I'll stay and see how it goes," he said. "Someone might as well." He looked over at me lazily.

Temari glanced from Kankuro to me and back to Kankuro before she said, "Suit yourself," and left.

"I appreciate it," I said to Kankuro.

"What else am I supposed to do?" he said and sank further into his chair. "Eh, I guess I could be training, but I was just on the road so I think I'll relax for a while."

"Please keep quiet," said Shizune, not unkindly. "This will go faster if I can concentrate." She took her hand away from my head and sat back, thinking. "Niwaka, tell me exactly what happened before you passed out. Anything you think might be important."

"Well…" I screwed up my face. "I was sparring with Kankuro and Gaara in the training yard down there. I felt completely fine. I had out two of my Words—Soushi and Kusari—and three of my Warriors. And I was in the air. Everything was going fine, like I said. I pulled out my Chilling Waterfall scroll and I tried to reach for my chakra, but it just wouldn't come. I guess it was kind of like… trying to breathe underwater. You know?"

Shizune nodded, still frowning. "I see. Is there anything else you can tell me? When you passed out?"

"Yeah," I said, "as I was falling, I saw—" I almost described Kencho's eyes and how they'd burned themselves into my sight, but I felt something stop me. Shizune was waiting patiently for me to finish.

_You said you would only tell Asuma!_ Kencho's voice reverberated through my skull and I could feel his panic seeping into my mind. _You said you were going to keep things quiet about me._

_She's trying to heal me_, I thought back at him. _I should tell her everything, Kencho. I trust her. Besides, how are you even doing this? You can talk to me when I'm awake now? Stay out of my head, because I don't like it one bit._

_But what if she tries to get me out of you? _he demanded, ignoring my objections. _Niwaka, I don't know what will happen if I leave._

_If it bothers you that much… Fine. I'll wait to tell Asuma._ "I saw all these sort of sunspots as I was falling," I continued. "They just kind of took over and then I was out. I had a lot of weird dreams, but I can't really remember them." I wasn't lying in the strictest sense. I _had _seen spots and I'm pretty sure I had had dreams. I just didn't include where the spots came from, and by this time I didn't think of my meetings with Kencho as actual dreams—I felt faraway in them, but somehow I knew they were rooted in reality.

"And that's it?" Shizune asked. She was checking my hands and arms now; I could see the green glow of healing chakra flowing from her fingers. "Has this ever happened before?"

"During training once," I answered. "A few weeks after the Chuunin Exam. Asuma said it was probably from using the Completed Word and that I still had chakra left in my scrolls, but I reworked everything and I made absolutely sure there was nothing left in any of my scrolls or my Warriors."

"No, it doesn't look like you're missing any chakra," said Shizune. "But this is strange. Your chakra reserves have doubled."

_You couldn't hide your chakra, I suppose?_ I thought at Kencho.

I felt him bristle inside my mind as he said, _I don't know how!_

I pressed down Kencho's presence so that I could concentrate on Shizune. "They _what?_" I said to her, acting as shocked as I knew how. Kankuro leaned forward in his chair, looking curious.

"I know it sounds strange," said Shizune. "Do you know if anyone in your village made this kind of rapid development in chakra? I've never seen anything like this in Konoha."

I shook my head. "I haven't heard anything. But besides my chakra doubling, is there anything, you know… _wrong_ with me?"

"Other than your cuts and the leftover soreness from the episode, your body seems to be completely fine. You're not seriously injured, in any case. And you're not ill either." Shizune pursed her lips and sat back in her chair with a sigh. "Really, it looks like what you experienced was caused by your chakra growth."

"So I can get out of bed?" I asked eagerly.

"Not yet," said Shizune, her voice stern. "I'm not going to risk a relapse, especially when I'm not sure about what's going on. Give it a day or two and then we'll take you home. But if _anything _starts to hurt you—anything that you think might be related to this—I'm going to bring you to Tsunade-sama for a looking over."

"Yes, ma'am," I said.

I didn't want to lie to Shizune, but something about Kencho's worries struck a chord in me. Whatever was going on between the two of us in my mind wasn't medical and I could have at least explained that to her. I found myself wanting to tell her about Kencho's existence, but my tongue wouldn't move and the words died in my throat. Kencho wouldn't let me. I felt a prickle of discomfort run down my spine. If Kencho could enter into my thoughts so easily and keep me from saying certain things… How much control did he have over me? At this point I was hoping that Kencho _would_ cause more trouble—then at least someone would insist on me seeing Tsunade. I knew—somehow—that if I tried to go to her myself, that Kencho would stop it from happening. And that was more frightening to me than anything else.

As Shizune left the room, I sank back into my pillows with a sigh. Kankuro still sat by the wall, lounging across three chairs. He glanced at me as the door closed behind Shizune. "Your chakra doubled?" he asked. "Just overnight?"

I rubbed my face with my hands. "Apparently."

"You know how incredible that is," he said. "Are you some kind of freak?"

"I would—not—know," I replied. "My life is getting just a little too exciting for me. I'm thinking about retiring and moving out to the country."

"Oh, but then I'd never get to fight you." Kankuro smiled in that lazy way of his. "Besides, if your chakra's doubled, doesn't that make you about twice the ninja you were? I bet when you get to jounin level you'll be in pretty high demand."

I shrugged and smoothed the covers around me. "I didn't have a whole lot of chakra to begin with," I said. "Even with twice as much, that's probably not much more than—say, you have. Definitely not as much as Gaara and nowhere _near_ Naruto's capacity. Besides, it—" I felt my throat close. I had been about to say, 'It doesn't all belong to me.' But Kencho's will was clamping down on my voice like a vise and I had to cut myself off.

Kankuro sat forward, turning serious. "Niwaka, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I say, though inwardly I was deciding that the next time I dreamt of Kencho I was going to wring his scrawny neck. "My throat is just a little sore."

Kankuro got up from his seat and walked over to a table near the window where the medics had set out a pitcher of water and a few cups. He poured me a glass and brought it over, giving me a dubious look. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?" he asked.

"As well as I can be." I took the glass, nodding my thanks at him and took a big gulp. The medics had been encouraging me to keep myself well hydrated, but ever since I'd woken up, I had been drinking vast amounts of water and the thirst still wasn't going away. After Kankuro sat back down, leaning his chin on the back of his hand, I eyed him over the rim of my glass. He raised his eyebrow in return. "You and Gaara have been awfully nice to me since I got here," I said. "What's the matter with you guys?"

Kankuro's expression became amused. "You're not bad, for a Konoha ninja," he said with a small shrug.

"But there are plenty of others you could be nice to," I replied. "You both seem to like Naruto well enough."

"Naruto—he's a bit of an oddball." Kankuro grimaced as he said, "I would never try to carry on a conversation with that kid, because he's a childish and ridiculous person, but…" He seemed lost in thought for a moment. "…he has the power to change the world around him. That's worth respecting."

"Yeah," I said. Somehow, I couldn't help but think that Naruto had been graced with something that other ninjas couldn't quite capture. He made long-lasting impressions on people, even those who didn't know him very well. I certainly wasn't in his close circle of friends, but he'd wormed his way into my heart regardless. I wondered suddenly whether Naruto actually had any opinion of me or if he just saw me as a piece of the scenery like poor Hinata.

"But anyway, Niwaka," said Kankuro, "you've got a little bit of the Sand in you."

I frowned. "How do you figure?"

"It's true, you're too meek to be a true Sand nin." Kankuro said it with only the barest hint of scorn. "But you've got a vicious streak when you need it. More than a lot of the Konoha genins, anyway. You're not competitive, though," he added. "Normally I wouldn't talk to someone with so little drive, but I make exceptions for people with a good sense of humor." He leaned back on his chair again, smiling.

I rolled my eyes at his self-satisfied expression, knowing that in his own way he was trying to be nice. "You know I'm not from Konoha originally, right?"

Kankuro shook his head, looking like he didn't care much. "Where, then?"

"Umou, the feathered village," I said. "Do you know it?"

"Not in the least," said Kankuro. "Why'd they let you go?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but then closed it again, thinking. Even after everything—coming to Konoha, training, seeing Gaman again, overthinking everything I had done before I left Umou—I still wasn't quite sure if I believed Okure's reasons for sending me away. "I don't know," I said.

"Does it bother you?" Kankuro asked. He still didn't sound quite interested, though I think he was trying to act like he cared—maybe because I was an invalid or maybe because he was just feeling magnanimous.

I rested my head on my pillow, turning to look out the window. "Maybe. I try not to think about it. Look, you can leave whenever you want. I'm probably not going to do anything interesting if you stay."

"Probably not," he said, crossing his arms behind his head. "But what if you actually _did _do something interesting and I missed it?"

I found myself grinning at him. Although Kankuro could be arrogant and persistent, I _was_ grateful for his company. "Did you know you're secretly kind of a gentleman?" I asked.

Kankuro let out a laugh and said, "I'm no gentleman. I'm a mean old man."

"Oh yeah, _so_ old," I scoffed.

"Older than you are," he said. "Now settle down, Niwaka, or they'll never let you out of here."

* * *

I was confined to the hospital for another two days. For the most part I lay around. Shikamaru came in often—sometimes with Temari—and Kankuro and Gaara visited me when they weren't busy with training. Shizune came to check on me as well, and each time she was satisfied that I was getting better, but she was still not quite convinced that my "chakra growth" was the only reason for my blackout. Even Kakashi decided to come keep me company and he lent me one of his racy novels to pass the time. Needless to say, I was thoroughly shocked by some of the filthy things I read.

I spent both days waiting eagerly for Asuma to come, which he did, but he was never alone. Sometimes he came with Shikamaru, sometimes with Kakashi. Sometimes I got the feeling that he did want to stay and talk to me, but he seemed to be busy finishing up what Shikamaru and I had supposed to be doing before my episode. Luckily, Kencho receded deeper into my mind and I could feel his presence only marginally. I convinced myself to keep calm about it until we all returned to Konoha, where I could safely get Asuma alone and explain to him what was going on in my head. Still, a part of me was afraid that when I told him, he would send me to a psychiatric ward. Of course, I knew that was silly. Asuma was one of the most level-headed, trustworthy people I had ever met in my life, and I knew it would take more than people popping into my subconscious to faze him. So, I tried to stay patient until the return home.

Shikamaru was with me when I got out of the bed for the first time under Shizune's watchful eye. Gingerly, I slid my legs out from under the covers, now sore only because I'd been in bed for so long. I stretched out my legs and stood shakily before bending over to do some quick loosening exercises. Knowing Asuma, he would start my training again immediately upon my return and I would need to get myself as limber as possible before that happened.

"Don't strain yourself, Niwaka," Shizune said.

"You've already set us behind by three days," Shikamaru said with a sigh. "It would be incredibly troublesome if you messed up and hurt yourself again."

I sent a flat look at Shikamaru. "I am just stretching," I said. "If I hurt myself doing this, then I don't deserve to be a kunoichi. Where are Asuma and Kakashi?"

"With Baki, tying up all the loose ends," he replied. "They want to get going in less than an hour, though, so we should get your things together."

I glanced around as I pulled one of my elbows behind my head. "Well, I think most of my stuff is here," I said. "And whatever else I had would be in the room I was—"

I stopped because a bag full of my spare clothes and extra belongings landed at the foot of my bed. When I looked up at the doorway, the Sand trio was standing there. Gaara was serious as always, Temari had a small smile and Kankuro—in his natural way—was smirking. "Whatever else you had is right there," said Kankuro, pointing to the bag. "We collected it for you, since it was cluttering up one of our good guest rooms."

"Well, look at you, being all thoughtful," I retorted, but I smiled to show them that I was thankful and began to gather the rest of my things that I had in the hospital room. I couldn't help but notice that Shikamaru gave Kankuro a certain look while I was packing—a look that I didn't quite recognize. I wondered for a moment if it had anything to do with Temari and whether Kankuro had warned Shikamaru away from his sister, but from what I knew of Kankuro, I thought he trusted Temari to make her own decisions. I figured then that Shikamaru had noticed that Kankuro was visiting me fairly often and thought of the Sand ninja as a bad influence.

I ignored them as I tied my pack closed and slung it over my shoulder. "That's everything," I said. "Should we go wait by the gates?"

Shizune nodded and said, "I'll go tell Asuma and Kakashi that you're ready. Don't dawdle, but do be careful, Niwaka."

"Hai, Shizune-sama," I said with a sigh. Really, it was as if she expected me to collapse and die any second.

After she left, Shikamaru picked up his own pack and headed to the door. "Alright, Niwaka, let's head out."

"We'll come with you to see you off," said Kankuro.

"We can't," said Temari, shaking her head. "We've got training as soon as Baki-sensei's finished with his business." She gave an apologetic look to Shikamaru, who shrugged. "Well," she continued, "it was an interesting visit."

"Very interesting," said Shikamaru with a wry smile. He nodded at Gaara and Gaara nodded back, and exchanged a glance with Kankuro. Finally, he smiled at Temari and she smiled back. I kept myself from frowning by looking away. My gaze fell on Gaara; I think he must have understood my expression, because he gave me that blank-faced stare of his—the one that looks all stoic and intimidating, but actually makes you feel kind of comforted at the same time.

From behind, I felt Kankuro lean his elbow on my head. I tried to turn to look up at him, but he ruffled my hair in an unnecessarily forceful way and nudged me over to the door. "Well, go on then," he said cheerfully. "Looks like it's goodbye for now."

Finally, I managed to swivel and face Kankuro, and I put my hands on my hips. "Well, _you're_ certainly in a rush to get rid of me," I said, though I was grinning at him. "You know, I might talk too much, but have you ever considered that you just have a bad attitude?"

"Of course I have a bad attitude. It's one of my better qualities." Kankuro gave me a light slap on the shoulder. "Stay out of trouble, Niwaka."

"I'll try," I said, "but no promises." I was about to leave, but I stopped and met his eyes. "Thank you, Kankuro." Turning quickly, so that I wouldn't make it awkward by staying longer, I waved to Temari and Gaara, and then walked out of the room with Shikamaru at my side.

Shikamaru eyed me sidelong and said, "It'll be a relief to finally get home."

I glanced at him for a moment, thinking of him, how much I wished that he could somehow understand my feelings for him and—even more—feel the same toward me. And I didn't even know for certain whether he _did_ care for Temari, but all the same, I was determined to keep myself from pining for him forever. I was beginning to learn, as every young girl in the world has learned at some point, that there is no cure for unrequited love other than time, patience and willingness to move on. I had no doubt in my mind that I would always love Shikamaru as my best friend and teammate, but I knew I was strong enough to be able to satisfy myself with that.

I could feel my stomach clench into knots as I imagined getting over him, but I said, "Yeah. I was starting to really miss Konoha." It was going to take time, but I could master myself.

And Kencho… That situation would also take some mastering.

* * *

**And there you have it. As you can see, this Kencho situation is starting to get worrisome. Hm, it could be a major plot point. Or not. And also, it seems like Niwaka and Kankuro are hitting it off quite nicely. At least it's good to know that she has to ability to make friends as snarky as she is.**

**Thanks so much for reading!**

**See you on the flip side.**


End file.
